灰胸竹鸡 Chinese Bamboo Partridge
Bambusicola thoracicus

中型雉类
体长 30~32 cm

虹膜 /iris

红褐色 /reddish-brown

嘴 /bill

褐色 /brown

脚 /legs and feet

绿灰色 /greenish-grey

目 │ 鸡形目GALLIFORMES 科 │ 雉科Phasianidae

野外识别 │ 额、眉线及颈项蓝灰色，脸、喉及上胸棕色。上背橄榄褐色、具栗色斑，胸侧及两胁有月牙形的大块黑褐色斑，下体栗棕色到棕黄色。它的叫声“ people pray, people pray, people pray ”非常响亮，很远都能听见。

居留及分布 │ 中国特有种，主要分布于长江以南各省份。留鸟。南岭较常见。

生境及习性 │ 常在山地、灌丛、草丛、竹林等地方结群活动。以家庭群栖居。飞行笨拙、径直。栖息于山岳的灌丛、草地或丛林中。主要以杂草种子、嫩芽、颗粒型果实为食。在茂密的灌丛、草丛、竹林地面营巢。繁殖期 3—5 月。每窝产卵 7~12 枚，卵暗乳色或淡褐色，具棕色细点和浅灰色斑。由雌鸟孵卵。孵化期 16~18 天。雏鸟出壳后即可与成鸟一起奔跑、觅食。

Field identification │ A medium-sized partridge with a wedge-shaped tail. On adults, the forehead, supercilium and upper breast are bluish-grey, contrasting with rufous cheeks, throat and sides of neck. The upperparts are brown spotted with chestnut, black and white, and the lower breast, belly and flanks are buffy with large black spots. Immatures are duller with buffy streaks. The call is a loud distinctive 3-5 notes e-put-kwai (rendered in English as“people pray”) which gets longer and slower with each repetition.

Distribution & status │ Endemic to central and southern China including Guangdong. In Nanling, it is a fairly common resident.

Habitat & habits │ Chinese Bamboo Partridges are mainly terrestrial and occur in forest, forest edge and the rough edges of cultivation, usually in pairs or family groups. They feed on seeds, shoots,leaves and invertebrates, and are ground-nesters, probably laying in March or April in Guangdong.