Chukar partridge

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Chukar partridge
Alectoris-chukar-001.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Alectoris
Species:
A. chukar
Binomial name
Alectoris chukar
(J. E. Gray, 1830)
Subspecies
List
    • A. c. chukar
    • A. c. cypriotes
    • A. c. dzungarica
    • A. c. falki
    • A. c. kleini
    • A. c. koroviakovi
    • A. c. kurdestanica
    • A. c. pallescens
    • A. c. pallida
    • A. c. potanini
    • A. c. pubescens
    • A. c. sinaica
    • A. c. subpallida
    • A. c. werae
AlectorisChristensen.svg
Rough distribution of chukar (green) and related partridges
Synonyms
  • Caccabis kakelik
Chukar Patridge from United Arab Emirates Chukar Patridge 2.jpg
Chukar Patridge from United Arab Emirates

The chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), or simply chukar, is a Palearctic upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the rock partridge, Philby's partridge and Przevalski's partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first. This partridge has well-marked black and white bars on the flanks and a black band running from the forehead across the eye down the head to form a necklace that encloses a white throat. Native to Asia, the species has been introduced into many other places and feral populations have established themselves in parts of North America and New Zealand. This bird can be found in parts of Middle East and temperate Asia.

Contents

Description

Chukar at Chang La, Ladakh. Chukar Partridge from Ladakh.jpg
Chukar at Chang La, Ladakh.
Illustration from Hume and Marshall's Game Birds of India, Burma and Ceylon Alectoris chukar hm.jpg
Illustration from Hume and Marshall's Game Birds of India, Burma and Ceylon

The chukar is a rotund 32–35 cm (13–14 in) long partridge, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The shades vary across the various populations. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks, red legs and coral red bill. Sexes are similar, the female slightly smaller in size and lacking the spur. [2] The tail has 14 feathers, the third primary is the longest while the first is level with the fifth and sixth primaries. [3]

It is very similar to the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) with which it has been lumped in the past [4] but is browner on the back and has a yellowish tinge to the foreneck. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from the red-legged partridge which has the black collar breaking into dark streaks near the breast. Their song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar from which the name is derived. [5] The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) has a reddish-brown rather than black collar with a grey throat and face with a chestnut crown. [6]

Other common names of this bird include chukker (chuker or chukor), Indian chukar.

Distribution and habitat

This partridge has its native range in Asia, including Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, Kurdistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and India, along the inner ranges of the western Himalayas to Nepal, as well as southeasternmost Europe in Bulgaria and Greece. [1] Further west in southeastern Europe it is replaced by the rock partridge, Alectoris graeca. It barely ranges into Africa on the Sinai Peninsula. The habitat in the native range is rocky open hillsides with grass or scattered scrub or cultivation. It is very common in the highlands in Turkey. In Israel and Jordan it is found at low altitudes, starting at 400 m (1,300 ft) below sea level in the Dead Sea area, whereas in the more eastern areas it is mainly found at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 m (6,600 to 13,100 ft) except in Pakistan, where it occurs at 600 m (2,000 ft). [2] [7] They are not found in areas of high humidity or rainfall. [8]

It has been introduced widely as a game bird, and feral populations have become established in the United States (Rocky Mountains, Great Basin, high desert areas of California), Canada, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Hawaii. [9] Initial introductions into the US were from the nominate populations collected from Afghanistan and Nepal. [10] The birds are hunted across the dry, rocky Columbia Basin, especially in the vicinity of the Snake River in Washington and Oregon. [11] [12] It has also been introduced to New South Wales in Australia but breeding populations have not persisted and are probably extinct. [13] A small population exists on Robben Island in South Africa since it was introduced there in 1964. [14]

The chukar readily interbreeds with the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), and the practice of breeding and releasing captive-bred hybrids has been banned in various countries including the United Kingdom, as it is a threat to wild populations. [15]

Systematics and taxonomy

Alectoris chukar Alectoris chukar 7 - Israel.jpg
Alectoris chukar

The chukar partridge is part of a confusing group of "red-legged partridges". Several plumage variations within the widespread distribution of the chukar partridge have been described and designated as subspecies. In the past the chukar group was included with the rock partridge (also known as the Greek partridge). The species from Turkey and farther east was subsequently separated from A. graeca of Greece and Bulgaria and western Europe. [16] [17]

Subspecies

The chukar has 14 recognized subspecies: [18]

Population and status

Chukar partridge (right) in the Antelope Island State Park, Utah, US AntelopeIsland Chukar.JPG
Chukar partridge (right) in the Antelope Island State Park, Utah, US

This species is relatively unaffected by hunting or loss of habitat. Its numbers are largely affected by weather patterns during the breeding season. The release of captive stock in some parts of southern Europe can threaten native populations of rock partridge and red-legged partridge with which they may hybridize. [19] [20]

British sportsmen in India considered the chukar as good sport although they were not considered to be particularly good in flavour. Their fast flight and ability to fly some distance after being shot made recovery of the birds difficult without retriever dogs. [21] During cold winters, when the higher areas are covered in snow, people in Kashmir have been known to use a technique to tire the birds out to catch them. [22]

Behaviour and ecology

In the non-breeding season, chukar partridge are found in small coveys of 10 or more (up to 50) birds. In summer, chukars form pairs to breed. During this time, the cocks are very pugnacious in their calling and fighting. [7] [8] [23] [24] During winter they descend into the valleys and feed in fields. They call frequently during the day and especially in the mornings and evenings. The call is loud and includes loud repeated chuck notes and sometimes duetting chuker notes. Several calls varying with context have been noted. [25] The most common call is a "rallying call" which when played back elicits a response from birds and has been used in surveys, although the method is not very reliable. [26] [27] When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance often down a slope on rounded wings, calling immediately after alighting. [2] [21] [28] In Utah, birds were found to forage in an area of about 2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi) and travel up to 4.8 km (3.0 mi) to obtain water during the dry season. The home range was found to be even smaller in Idaho. [29] [30] [31]

The breeding season is summer. Males perform tidbitting displays, a form of courtship feeding where the male pecks at food and a female may visit to peck in response. The males may chase females with head lowered, wing lowered and neck fluffed. The male may also perform a high step stiff walk while making a special call. The female may then crouch in acceptance and the male mounts to copulate, while grasping the nape of the female. Males are monogamous. [17] The nest is a scantily lined ground scrape, though occasionally a compact pad is created with a depression in the centre. Generally, the nests are sheltered by ferns and small bushes, or placed in a dip or rocky hillside under an overhanging rock. About 7 to 14 eggs are laid. [8] [24] [32] The eggs hatch in about 23–25 days. In captivity they can lay an egg each day during the breeding season if eggs are collected daily. [33] Chicks join their parents in foraging and will soon join the chicks of other members of the covey. [6]

Chukar from Jebel Al Lawz, Saudi Arabia Chukar from Jebel Al Lawz, Saudi Arabia.jpg
Chukar from Jebel Al Lawz, Saudi Arabia

As young chukars grow, and before flying for the first time, they utilize wing-assisted incline running as a transition to adult flight. This behaviour is found in several bird species, but has been extensively studied in chukar chicks, as a model to explain the evolution of avian flight. [34] [35] [36] [37]

A chukar in a 17th-century Persian encyclopedia FarahChukar.png
A chukar in a 17th-century Persian encyclopedia

Chukar will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. It also ingests grit. [28] In Kashmir, the seeds of a species of Eragrostis was particularly dominant in their diet [38] while those in the US favoured Bromus tectorum . [6] Birds feeding on succulent vegetation make up for their water needs but visit open water in summer. [39]

Chukar roost on rocky slopes or under shrubs. In the winter, birds in the US selected protected niches or caves. A group may roost in a tight circle with their heads pointed outwards to conserve heat and keep a look out for predators. [6]

Chukar are sometimes preyed on by golden eagles. [40]

Birds in captivity can die from Mycoplasma infection and outbreaks of other diseases such as erysipelas. [41] [42] [43]

In culture

The name is onomatopoeic and mentions of chakor in Sanskrit, from northern Indian date back to the Markandeya Purana (c. 250-500 AD). [44] [45] In North Indian and Pakistani culture, as well as in Hindu mythology, the chukar (referred as Chakor) sometimes symbolizes intense, and often unrequited, love. [46] [47] It is said to be in love with the moon and to gaze at it constantly. [48] Because of their pugnacious behaviour during the breeding season they are kept in some areas as fighting birds. [8] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partridge</span> Common name for a type of bird

A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perdicinae subfamily of the Phasianidae. However, molecular research suggests that partridges are not a distinct taxon within the family Phasianidae, but that some species are closer to the pheasants, while others are closer to the junglefowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey partridge</span> Species of bird

The grey partridge, also known as the grey-legged partridge, English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name is the Latin for "partridge", and is itself derived from Ancient Greek perdix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-legged partridge</span> Species of bird

The red-legged partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is sometimes known as French partridge, to distinguish it from the English or grey partridge. The genus name is from Ancient Greek alektoris a farmyard chicken, and rufa is Latin for red or rufous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream-colored courser</span> Species of bird

The cream-colored courser is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. Both parts of the scientific name derive from Latin cursor, "runner", from currere, "to run" which describes their usual habit as they hunt their insect prey on the ground in dry open semi-desert regions of the Middle East and northern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black francolin</span> Species of bird

The black francolin is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. It was formerly known as the black partridge. It is the state bird of Haryana state, India. Fried black francolin is eaten in Azerbaijani cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pied bush chat</span> Species of bird

The pied bush chat is a small passerine bird found ranging from West Asia and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. About sixteen subspecies are recognized through its wide range with many island forms. It is a familiar bird of countryside and open scrub or grassland where it is found perched at the top of short thorn trees or other shrubs, looking out for insect prey. They pick up insects mainly from the ground, and were, like other chats, placed in the thrush family Turdidae, but are now considered as Old World flycatchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock partridge</span> Species of bird

The rock partridge or common rock partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae, of the order Galliformes. It is native to southern Europe, and is closely related and very similar to its eastern equivalent, the chukar partridge, A. chukar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbary partridge</span> Species of bird

The Barbary partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae) of the order Galliformes. It is native to North Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater hoopoe-lark</span> Species of bird

The greater hoopoe-lark is a passerine bird which is a breeding resident of arid, desert and semi-desert regions from the Cape Verde Islands across much of northern Africa, through the Arabian peninsula, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It was formerly known as the bifasciated lark and sometimes as the large desert lark.

<i>Alectoris</i> Genus of birds

Alectoris is a genus of partridges in the family Phasianidae, closely related to Old World quail, snowcocks (Tetraogallus), partridge-francolins (Pternistis), bush quail (Perdicula), and sand and see-see partridges (Ammoperdix). Members of the genus are known collectively as rock partridges. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek: αλέκτωρ, romanized: alektoris, meaning "chicken" or "farmyard fowl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibetan partridge</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey francolin</span> Species of bird

The grey francolin is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. This species was formerly also called the grey partridge, not to be confused with the European grey partridge. They are mainly ground-living birds and are found in open cultivated lands as well as scrub forest and their local name of teetar is based on their calls, a loud and repeated Ka-tee-tar...tee-tar which is produced by one or more birds. The term teetar can also refer to other partridges and quails. During the breeding season calling males attract challengers, and decoys were used to trap these birds especially for fighting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan snowcock</span> Species of bird

The Himalayan snowcock is a snowcock in the pheasant family Phasianidae found across the Himalayan ranges and parts of the adjoining Pamir range of Asia. It is found on alpine pastures and on steep rocky cliffs where they will dive down the hill slopes to escape. It overlaps with the slightly smaller Tibetan snowcock in parts of its wide range. The populations from different areas show variations in the colouration and about five subspecies have been designated. They were introduced in the mountains of Nevada in the United States in the 1960s and a wild population has established in the Ruby Mountains.

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Philby's partridge or Philby's rock partridge, is a relative of the chukar, red-legged partridge and barbary partridges and is native to southwestern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen. Although similar in appearance to other Alectoris species, Philby's partridge can be distinguished by its black cheeks and throat. Although not currently listed as an endangered species, the Arab Spring and destruction of its fragile habitat in the tribal areas of Northern Yemen had led to concerns about the survival of this species. The name commemorates the British explorer St John Philby.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perdicinae</span> Subfamily of birds

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