Chestnut-breasted Hill Partridge

Open encyclopedia reference

The chestnut-breasted partridge (Arborophila mandellii) is a partridge species endemic to the eastern Himalayas north of the Brahmaputra, and occurs in Bhutan, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and south-eastern Tibet at elevations from 350 to 2,500 m (1,150 to 8,200 ft). It is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, as the estimated population comprises less than 10,000 individuals. It is threatened by forest degradation and by hunting. It is known from at least three protected areas, including Singalila National Park and Namdapha National Park.

The scientific name commemorates the Italian naturalist Louis Mandelli.

It is a distinctive partridge with chestnut breast-band and grey belly. It is distinguished from the similar rufous-throated partridge A. rufogularis by more rufescent crown and head-sides, white gorget and entirely chestnut upper breast.

In 2015, the first photograph of this species in the wild was taken in Arunachal Pradesh.

Wikipedia contributors, Chestnut-breasted partridge; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:20:49.675563+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Arborophila mandellii Hume, 1874

Name authority

Hume, 1874

Common name

Chestnut-breasted Hill Partridge

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Galliformes

Family

Phasianidae

Genus

Arborophila

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderGalliformes
10. familyPhasianidae
11. genusArborophila Hodgson, 1837
12. speciesArborophila mandellii Hume, 1874

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Arborophila. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 123 records assigned to Phasianidae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=176034 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:G6N3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.