White-cheeked Partridge

SCI Name:  Arborophila atrogularis
Protonym:  Arboricola atrogularis J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 18 p.819
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Phasianidae / Arborophila
Taxonomy Code:  whcpar1
Type Locality:  Assam, Sylhet and Arrakan.
Author:  Blyth
Publish Year:  1849
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

ARBOROPHILA
(Phasianidae; Ϯ Hill Partridge A. torqueola) L. arbor, arboris  tree; Gr. φιλος philos  lover; "Genus ARBOROPHILA nobis.  Type. PERDIX OLIVACEA Lathami.?  Piora of the Nipalese.  Hill partridge and painted partridge of Europeans.  ARBOROPHILA  OLIVACEA nobis.  Bill equal to the head, or nearly so, slender; the maxilla more than half cut out by a large membranous nareal tect, in which the advanced nares are opened longitudinally, near to the cutting edge, by an elliptic lateral downward cleft.  Wings short, bowed and gradated, with the 5th quill longest.  Tail 14, drooped, somewhat feeble, extremely rounded and concealed by the coverts.  Legs and feet large.  Tarsi elevate, unspurred, nude.  Toes long; exterior lateral conspicuously larger than the inner.  Nails lengthened and straightened.  Cheeks invested with a red skin, which is nude in the orbitar region.  ..  Exclusively a forester, inhabiting the interior of deep woods, and perching as freely as a pheasant.  Gregarious in coveys, breeds on the earth, feeds on the ground and on trees, eating berries, seeds and insects.  Intestines and cæca longer than in Perdix, with a large powerful gizzard.  Has a shrill twittering call.  Is very timid and not at all pugnacious." (Hodgson 1837); "Arborophila Hodgson, Madras Journ. Lit. Sci., 5, 1837, p. 303. Type, by monotypy, "Perdix olivacea Latham" = Perdix torqueola Valenciennes." (Peters, 1934, II, p. 98).
Var. Arboricola.
Synon. Dendrophila, Hyloperdix, Oreoperdix, Peloperdix, Phoenicoperdix, Tropicoperdix.

atrogularis
L. ater  black; Mod. L. gularis throated  < L. gula  throat.
● ex “Coliou Rayé à Gorge Noire” of Levaillant 1808, pl. 259 (syn. Colius striatus nigricollis).
● ex “Vanneau armé de Goa” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, and Parra goensis J. Gmelin, 1789 (syn. Vanellus indicus).