Perdicula manipurensis
This elusive bird makes its home in the damp, tall grasslands of northeastern India and potentially Bangladesh. Known as the Manipur Bush Quail, it is a specialist of dense vegetation such as elephant grass, which can reach heights of 3 to 5 m. These quails typically inhabit the foothills up to elevations of 1,000 m, often frequenting bogs or swamps. Historically, observers encountered them in small coveys of 4 to 12 individuals. They are described as shy creatures that are reluctant to take flight. Local names for the bird translate to trap quail, referencing the way people in Manipur once caught them following bush fires.
Finding one today is a significant challenge, as there was no confirmed sighting for over seventy years until a report emerged from Manas, Assam, in 2006. Any surviving groups are likely very small and fragmented, with the total number of mature birds estimated at only 1 to 200. Their breeding season occurs between January and May, a period that unfortunately coincides with the annual burning of grasslands in protected areas. This practice may limit available habitat and make the birds more vulnerable to predators. The species also faces pressure from the drainage and conversion of its native grasslands into tea plantations and agricultural land. While hunting was a major historical threat and continues in some regions, the loss of natural grasslands remains a primary driver of their steep decline.
Written from the English Wikipedia article Manipur bush quail (CC BY-SA 4.0).
These are open occurrence records, so they show where people looked for and recorded the Manipur Bush Quail as much as where it lives. Cells are up to 25 km across, and every location is generalised to its cell.
Where and when you can expect to see Manipur Bush Quail is calculated from observation density. No zones have been computed for this species yet.