The male has a striking red crest and differs greatly in color from the female; both forage on the forest floor.
Males are bluish-purple with a large red crest; females are green with brown wings. Both have red feet and red skin around the eyes.
Crested Partridges forage in leaf litter on the forest floor. Males have a spreading crimson crest, while females have green bodies and chestnut wings. Groups also occur beneath fruiting trees where primates or other birds are feeding.
A 2006 Sarawak report records 1996 observations on ridges around cultivation at Pa’Ramudu and small groups in dense vegetation near bamboo and valley bottoms at Camp Five. The records describe use of several local terrain and vegetation settings.
Of two males and three females caught between late March and late May, three were undergoing irregular, uneven wing moult. These observations add a record of feather replacement to the species’conspicuous colours and crest.
IUCN Red List · Vulnerable · Global
The 2021 IUCN global assessment is Vulnerable. Conversion of lowland forest, particularly to oil-palm plantations, degradation and trapping for trade are major concerns. The assessment suspects rapid decline from their combined effects.