This partridge lives in the hills and mountains of Borneo. Its crimson head and breast stand out, while the rest of the plumage differs between males and females.
The head, breast, and part of the belly are crimson. The male is otherwise dark brown, while the female is olive-brown.
Crimson-headed Partridges are endemic to Borneo. They forage on the ground; Kinabalu observations included birds scratching leaf litter beside trails.
A2014–2015 Kinabalu study found calling concentrated between07:00 and09:00, declining towards midday and increasing slightly in late afternoon. Sightings were also frequent early in the day.
They were concentrated in forest at1500–1700m, while the sympatric Red-breasted Partridge used somewhat higher forest more often. These are overlapping patterns of habitat use.
IUCN Red List (BirdLife listing) · Least Concern · Global
BirdLife lists Least Concern globally. The Kinabalu study reports occasional snaring even within protected areas and calls for investigation of threats in forests outside the park. Montane forest retention and hunting pressures are conservation concerns.