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The gray partridge is a representative of the order kuroobraznyh, family pheasant. Ornithologists believe that this species was formed about two and a half million years ago. Partridge was a good nutritional option for the ancient man. Her meat was valued and considered a delicacy. It was the taste qualities that made the partridge attractive for human hunting.
Partridge - how to recognize it?
A gray partridge is often called a wild chicken. The name is associated with both the appearance and consonant whim with poultry. Her head is small and painted in ocher color. The breast has lighter shades - from yellow to light brown.
The bird has a round gray-colored front and a dark pattern on the back. An ornament resembling a horseshoe can be seen on the abdomen, and the partridges are decorated with brown stripes. An interesting fact: a pattern in the form of a horseshoe in young individuals you will not see, because it appears in sexually mature females, ready to breed. The tail, like the muzzle, has a reddish tint, and the legs and beak are almost dark. Partridge is characterized by a small size of 25-35 centimeters. Her weight reaches half a kilogram, and she can swing wings by as much as 50 centimeters.
If a partridge is a young individual, then it can be recognized by the color of the strips, which are located along the body. Their color is dark gray. You can determine the male or female by the shade of the plumage. Males look brighter, and females produce a reddish plumage on their tail. Partridges can also be recognized by the sounds they make. Their chirping is the quacking of chickens, and the sounds of males resemble the crowing of domestic cocks.
Partridges almost do not fly, and their favorite place is on the ground, among dense vegetation. It is in the grass that she can feel most secure.Due to its strong legs, it can quickly move among dense plantings. In case of danger, the bird can take advantage of the wings, but this happens extremely rarely.
Where do birds live?
The favorite places of partridges for settlement are steppes, fields, plains, which have dense vegetation, the presence of shrubs and ravines. Often partridges choose as a delicacy potatoes, oats or millet that are grown on farms, so the birds are frequent guests there. In autumn, partridges move to the forest belts. Also partridges can be found in deforestation areas, on plains or in mountainous areas.
Gray partridges do not like to change their habitats, so almost all their lives they live in the same territory. To change the habitat of the partridge can only in case of lack of food. But the change of residence is very bad wags on the birds.Finding a new home makes them fearful. Partridges live in flocks throughout the autumn and winter, and in summer they form pairs for breeding and build their nests, each pair in its own area.
Types of partridges
Partridges are divided into three types:
- Gray.
- Bearded
- Central Asian.
Gray and bearded partridges are very similar, often these species combine. They, by the way, are most demanded among hunters, therefore their quantity promptly decreases. The Central Asian partridge lives in the territory of Tibet. Her color is significantly different from fellow. Head with white feathers and two black specks. The chest of a bird is covered with black stripes. This species breeds well and their number is stable.
Feeding of gray partridges
Partridges eat vegetable food: inflorescences, roots, seeds, beetles, caterpillars and larvae can also be included in their diet. As described above, their strong legs allow you to dig the ground and get yourself a living.
The most difficult period for partridges is winter. It is very difficult to find food under a thick layer of snow. Here and there is a transition from a pair stay in a residence in a flock.Partridges lodge near the person, near fields, where it is possible to eat grains from the harvested crop.
Young partridges prefer insects. They feed in the early morning, since they are hiding from possible danger in the thick grass during the day and in the evening.
Breeding
The mating season for birds begins in April-May. If a pair is formed, they will be together for the entire period of their life. To lure a female, the male dissolves his plumage and begins to perform a mating dance, while making sounds similar to a crow. If the female pays attention to the male, then she becomes his second half.
Then a couple begins to twist their nest. The place must be protected from evil eyes. It is located in the high grass near the bushes. The nest is created in a recess where plants and soft grass are laid out neatly. Its width reaches 20 centimeters, and its depth is about 7 centimeters. They warm their nest with leaves of trees, down, grass and feathers. The females of the gray partridge are quite prolific and endure from 10 to 25 eggs at a time. The eggs are gray-brown in color with a pointed end. Hatching lasts 23 days.
The appearance of chicks occurs in early June.Hatching chicks are fairly easy to adapt and the survival rate is very high. From the first day the chicks begin to active. During maturation, the male and female together grow them. The head of the family can both hatch eggs and defend their children from enemies. It is not uncommon for a male to die in a fight with an adversary, saving his offspring.
The partridge transforms from a chick into an adult in 4 months, grows to the size of an adult bird in 1.5 months after birth, and at two weeks of age it can fly decent distances. The opportunity to multiply appears in 12 months.
If one of the parents dies, the family moves to the second, if the chicks are orphaned, then the other family takes care of them.
Who are afraid of partridges
The enemies for partridges in natural conditions are:
- Birds of prey: kite, owl, gyrfalcon.
- Predatory animals of small and medium sizes: fox, ferret, scribe.
- Animals living near humans: rat, cat.
Partridges can live for 10 years if they are not in danger, but in natural habitat they are a tasty treat for predator animals, therefore their lifespan ranges from 4-5 years.
Interesting facts about bird behavior
Steppe chickens are most active in the morning and evening. It is related to the search for food. Partridges do not like to fly, so they behave very quietly and carefully so as not to catch the eye of a predator. If the threat of attack is close, the bird flies low, travels a few hundred meters, and then skillfully hides in thick grass.
When it starts to get colder, the steppe hens are grouped in several individuals (5-10), they choose deep places hidden from the wind - and thus they spend the night. When a lot of snow falls, partridges make a hole in the snow and sleep there, warming each other. Also, a gray partridge can dig a tunnel in the snow with a recess resembling a separate room in which it spends the night safely.
Human breeding
Cultivation of partridges on the farm has become quite profitable and popular occupation. To do this, at home it is necessary to equip a poultry yard. It is necessary to avoid cells, because a partridge is a free bird accustomed to space.But we must remember that she is not a chicken and can fly very well through an open-air cage.
In order for the bird to breed, you need to take care of sufficient coverage of its habitat. Also, the place should be as close as possible to the natural environment, i.e. the presence of branches, shrubs welcome.
Take care of the formation of steam, as in natural conditions. If the female is nervous, pecking at the male, then it should be replaced.
When living conditions, nutrition and reproduction of partridges, growing them at home can bring you considerable profit, because poultry meat contains a small amount of carbohydrates and is in demand in the restaurant business.
Gray partridge protection
Partridge is a very attractive food for many predators and often it does not live half of its life, so you need to take care of it and save this species. This species is not listed in the red book, as it is believed that because of their unique ability to carry a large number of eggs at a time, they can restore their numbers themselves.
This article has already described that gray partridges are rapidly losing their number in the animal world.Even a flock of 35 individuals with their fertility cannot provide a constant number of its members.
Measures that are used as a guard for gray partridges:
- The hunting of steppe chickens is prohibited.
- When harvesting, leave ears intact in the territory bordering on shrubs and ravines.
- They catch stray animals (rats).
- Use harmless fertilizers.
The gray partridge has long been a source of food for humans and, despite thousands of years, this species survived, and to this day lives in the neighborhood with us. Only a person can have a positive impact on the preservation of the number of this species.
Video: Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)
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