The Madagascar Partridge is a colorful, ground-dwelling bird. By day it searches for seeds, berries, and small insects, usually in pairs or family groups.
Its plumage is colorful, and this partridge is often seen foraging on the ground because its ability to fly is limited.
At Isalo in Madagascar, a pair of Madagascan Partridges was observed walking onto a road through grassland, retreating from approaching vehicles and emerging again. The birds also took flight to complete the crossing.
During a November 2017 observation, the pair returned after avoiding two vehicles. When another approached, they were already more than halfway across and flew onward over the grassland, combining walking and flight in one movement.
At Marojejy in northeastern Madagascar, the species was recorded in montane ericoid thicket at 1,875 metres in 1996. A comparable 2021 inventory combining observations, point counts and other methods did not record it there, providing a historical comparison for further monitoring.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The 2018 IUCN assessment identifies annual-fire-related habitat degradation and overhunting as causes of decline. Their effects on occupied grassland and scrub require attention in conservation management.