Udzungwa forest partridge

The Udzungwa forest partridge (Xenoperdix udzungwensis), also known as the Udzungwa partridge, is a small, approximately 29 centimetres (11 in) long, boldly barred, brownish partridge with rufous face, grey underparts, olive-brown crown and upperparts. It has a red bill, brown iris and yellow legs. The sexes are similar.

Udzungwa forest partridge
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Genus:	Xenoperdix Dinesen, Lehmberg, Svendsen, Hansen & Fjeldså, 1994
Species:	X. udzungwensis
Binomial name
Xenoperdix udzungwensis Dinesen, Lehmberg, Svendsen, Hansen & Fjeldså, 1994

Taxonomy

The Udzungwa forest partridge was formally described by Lars Dinesen and collaborators in 1994 based on a specimen collected in the Udzungwa Mountains of southern Tanzania. They introduced a new genus Xenoperdix, and coined the binomial name Xenoperdix udzungwensis.^[2]

Two subspecies are recognised:^[3]

• X. u. udzungwensis Dinesen, Lehmberg, Svendsen & Hansen & Fjeldså, 1994 – Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania
• X. u. obscuratus Fjeldså & Kiure, 2003 – Rubeho highlands of Tanzania^[4]

The subspecies X. u. obscuratus has sometimes been considered as a separate species, the Rubeho forest partridge.^[3][5]

The diet consists mainly of beetles, ants and seeds. Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Udzungwa forest partridge is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.