There are two virtually unknown species (or perhaps subspecies) of the pheasant subfamily: the chestnut-throated partridge and the buff-throated partridge. Both are endemic to central China, and can be separated by the color of the throat (chestnut in the chestnut-throated partridge, yellow in the buff-throated partridge). The chestnut-throated partridge occurs in the reserve, inhabiting rhododendron-fir forests above 3,400 m. A female was captured and radio-tracked in 1995. It had home range sizes in spring and summer of 43 ha and 59 ha, respectively. On August 26th 2002, a female with two or three fully grown juveniles was observed at 3,450 m. The study of this interesting species should be continued in the future.

The habitat of the chestnut-throated partridge in Lianhuashan is in the fir-rhododendron forest