Bird Guide

Barbary Partridge vs Chukar Partridge

Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara)

Barbary Partridge

Alectoris barbara

Large416 gRocky

The Barbary partridge is a rotund bird, with a grey-brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is light grey with a broad reddish-brown gorget. It has rufous-streaked white flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings. It is closely related to its western European equivalent, the red-legged partridge. It is similar to the red-legged partridge, but it has a different head and neck pattern. The song is a noisy tre-tre-tre-tre-tre-cheeche-tre-tre-tre.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Frits van der Meer from Utrecht, Nederland · CC BY 2.0
Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar)

Chukar Partridge

Alectoris chukar

Large502 gShrubland

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. The tail has 14 feathers, the third primary is the longest while the first is level with the fifth and sixth primaries.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Carey_Knox_Southern_Scales · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Barbary Partridge and Chukar Partridge.