The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a least-concern species.

The rufous-throated partridge was formally described in 1849 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth based on birds from the Darjeeling district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India.

The scapulars and wing coverts have chestnut, black and greyish bands.

The juvenile bird is duller below, and its crown and flanks have brown and black vermiculations.

[6] The rufous-throated partridge is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[6] Breeding has been recorded from April to July in India and from February to May in China.

[7] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that the species's population is declining because of habitat destruction and unsustainable hunting, but the decline is not rapid, and the range is large, so the IUCN has assessed it as a least-concern species.