Partridges, Quails, Francolins, Snowcocks, Guineafowl, and Turkeys

may arise from this work, but for now, the upgrading of
Nanwei Ling from county to provincial level nature reserve
is recommended. A public awareness programme could be
a productive way of reducing illegal hunting for food.
Timescale: Initial surveys of any length could provide
useful data. Protected areas analysis would take several
months, and the conservation awareness programme would
be longer term still.
Resources: There is a variety of funding possibilities, and
there is the possibility of using the Hainan hill-partridge as
a flagship for conservation on the island.
Project 22. Bearded wood-partridge
(Dendrortyx barbatus)
Aims: To collate and publish existing information on the
biology and conservation status of this species; to produce
and promote a comprehensive recovery plan.
Justification: The bearded wood-partridge is restricted to
a few tiny fragments of forest and has undergone serious
declines. Its habitats are subject to intensive commercial
logging and forest clearance, and the remaining small and
fragmented populations are vulnerable to local extinction
through stochastic and local processes. The species has
been studied in some detail in the past few years (Montejo
and Tejeda 1996, Eitniear et al. in press). There is now a
need to collate all information on the species’ ecology,
distribution, and conservation status and ensure
publication of this material in peer-reviewed journals.
This will enable the development of a long-term recovery
and management plan for this species.
Project description: Particular management
recommendations should be assembled into a recovery
plan for the bearded wood-partridge, and this promoted to
appropriate authorities and local people through
community partnerships. Long-term monitoring of
populations should be put in place to assess the effectiveness
of management strategies, and suggest ways in which they
can be improved. The emphasis here is on getting concrete
conservation action based on sound science, and monitoring
its progress to allow continued refining of the management
tools used.
Timescale: As a long-term project, this work is likely to
take several years.
Resources: Substantial funding will be required to ensure
collation and publication of relevant information and
recommendations.
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