White partridge - description, habitat, interesting facts

It is difficult to find a person who has never heard anything about quails in his life. They are understood as small feathered friends, who often become victims of hunters. The meat of the partridges is delicious, so the birds are served with such great pleasure to the table. Today we look at everything that affects the presented species of individuals. What they eat, where they are distributed, how the marriage period goes, etc.

Description

1. The birds are neatly folded, small, grow to a maximum of 30 cm. In the weight category vary between 450 and 500 grams. The final external data depends on the gender, distribution and age of the bird.
2. Male individuals are famous for their gray plumage. But their abdominal region is whitish or close to it. In this area there is a spot in the shape of a horseshoe purple-red tone.
3. It is worth highlighting the fact that individuals of female affiliation are smaller in their dimensional features. Also, females are not as bright as males, because they need to hatch the offspring during the nesting period and to disguise as much as possible the environment.
4. In females who have not yet reached puberty, there is no speck on the belly. Therefore, it is enough to determine among the young, who and to what sex belongs. This mark will appear after puberty.
5. When summer comes, females get a reddish hue of plumage. In individuals of two sexes, the head is brownish in color, and in the back of the head there are feathers of a rich color. Light dots are located all over the body, which make the pattern more voluminous.
6. If birds live in the northern regions, they may change the plumage shade several times in a year. For example, tailless partridges are decorated with white feathers in winter, and closer to the summer season, this color is replaced by brown or earthen. Also, the distinctive characteristic is that the male males have red eyebrows. The females do not have this feature.

Habitat

1. These birds are mostly distributed in the British Isles, in the United States of America and Eurasia. However, the bulk of the population is dispersed in the CIS countries. Birds settle in the forest-steppe, tundra, forest-tundra, mountainous area.
2. But most often these birds are found in the tundra. This area is ideal for partridges, so individuals in this area are most often encountered. They nest on moist soil, prefer open areas and edges. They love large shrub type vegetation.
3. In the forest and mountain areas it is much more difficult to see these birds. They live only in specific areas where there is moderate vegetation. Also found on peat bogs.
4. In the flattering zone, individuals live where birch, alder, aspen grows. Birds love pine forest. It is interesting that some species of partridges of snow-white tone are listed in the Red Book.

Features of the form

1. These birds have clawed paws, so individuals can survive even in harsh conditions. They dig holes in the ground due to the claws.And when birds fly, clawed paws help them to fly in the wind and keep their balance. A distinctive feature is that the partridges can change the shade of feathers.
2. For example, in the summertime, they are red with a gray tint. This color helps the birds look unnoticed among the trees. However, this characteristic is not peculiar to everyone, because some individuals remain white. Eyebrows become scarlet, and the abdominal region, feathers on the wing wings and limbs are gray with white tint.
3. When the hunt for white partridges begins in the summer, males and females can be distinguished by their characteristics and gender. Females get their outfit faster than males. In autumn, the feathers become reddish or yellow, orange tuft patches or dots may be observed.
4. Individuals of female sex change their winter attire earlier than male members of the family. They turn white, only black feathers are present in the tail area. Thick and short plumage flaunts the paw area. Thanks to these features, the birds merge with their surroundings, hide from enemies and can survive in the winter.
5. In the spring, the head and neck areas of males are pigmented with a brownish-red tone. But other areas of the hull do not change, remaining white. From all of the above, it is necessary to conclude that females in 12 months change the color of feathering three times, and the representatives of the male sex change 4 times.

Lifestyle and character

1. The considered individuals prefer to lead a daily lifestyle. At night, such birds often lurk in dense thickets. When winter comes, represented individuals sleep, burrowing in snowdrifts. It is also worth noting that partridges are sedentary birds.
2. Such individuals make flights only for short distances. In most cases, the individuals in question prefer to run. It is worth noting that at the sight of danger, the bird leaves this place very quickly. Partridges can be called very cautious feathered.
3. An interesting fact is that when such birds go out in search of food, they move extremely quietly. The individual constantly looks around. If the bird in question notices danger, it freezes. As soon as the pest creeps up quite close, the partridge takes off abruptly.At the same time loud clapping wings are heard.
4. Often the danger for partridges comes at the very moment when the seasonal population of lemmings begins to decline. The bottom line is that the latter are the main food for predators. As a result, white owls and arctic foxes actively begin to hunt on the considered individuals.
5. As soon as spring comes, the partridges begin to make ringing and sharp sounds. In addition, the males intensively flapping their wings. This behavior means that the marriage period has begun. It is worth noting that at such a time, the males show increased aggression, so there are often clashes between them.
6. Fights begin only if the uninvited guest entered the territory of the host. In addition, females also change their usual behavior. At this time, they begin to actively look for a male. As a result, a monogamous couple is formed. Such birds try to keep a permanent nesting site.
7. In usual time, except for the mating season, birds exhibit a very quiet and calm behavior. Thus, they warn themselves against predators. Closer to winter, birds accumulate a rather dense fat layer.This is what helps them to survive in severe frosts.

Nutrition

1. Often the basis of the partridges ration includes food of plant origin. It is worth noting that birds feed on all kinds of insects only for the first time after their birth. Do not forget that these individuals rarely fly. Therefore, they pick up the bulk of the food from the ground.
2. In the warm season, individuals feed on all sorts of berries, seeds, flowers and plants. Only in rare cases, such birds can afford to eat animal food. In winter, birds often feed on plant shoots and buds.
3. It should be noted that such food is low-calorie. Because of this feature, birds try to swallow similar food in large quantities. Individuals load food in reserve in their large goiter. The birds also dig small holes in search of leftover berries. In addition, birds hiding from predators in such grooves.

Interesting Facts

1. In winter, in search of food, partridges try to rake strings of snow in order to reach the ground.As a result, they can feast on the roots and seeds of plants.
2. The main feature of the individuals is that at the sight of the danger the birds simply become numb. They remain motionless until the enemy passes them by.

Partridges are unique in nature, they have a body temperature of 45 degrees! At the same time, such indicators do not change even from the change of the season and with the onset of severe frosts. It should be noted that the meat of the considered individuals is very popular among people.

Video: Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)