Painted bush-quail Perdicula erythrorhyncha

Attractive and strikingly marked quail with a red bill and legs. Endemic to peninsular India. Males have a white eyebrow and throat that contrast with overall dark plumage. Mostly found in high altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats in south India; populations elsewhere in the peninsula are poorly known. Rather elusive, but can be seen foraging in small groups by roadsides early morning and late evening. Most often detected by its repeated, high pitched “kri-kri” calls during the breeding season.