Bird Guide

Grey Partridge vs Ruffed Grouse

Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)

Grey Partridge

Perdix perdix

Large405 gGrassland

The grey partridge is a rotund bird, brown-backed, with grey flanks and chest. The belly is white, usually marked with a large chestnut-brown horse-shoe mark in males, and also in many females. Hens lay up to twenty eggs in a ground nest. The nest is usually in the margin of a cereal field, most commonly winter wheat. Measurements: Length: 29–31 cm (11–12 in) Wingspan: 45–48 cm (18–19 in) Weight (P. p. perdix): 320–455 g (11.3–16.0 oz) Weight (P. p.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Linus Lindkvist · CC0
Photo: Вячеслав Юсупов · CC BY 4.0
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

Ruffed Grouse

Bonasa umbellus

Large531 gShrubland

Ruffed grouse are chunky, medium-sized birds that weigh from 450–750 g (0.99–1.65 lb), measure from 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) in length, and span 50–64 cm (20–25 in) across their short, strong wings. They have two distinct morphs - grey and brown. In the grey morph, the head, neck, and back are grey-brown; the breast is light with barring, with as much white on the underside and flanks. Overall, the birds have a variegated appearance; the throat is often distinctly lighter. The tail is essentially the same brownish grey, with regular barring and a broad black band near the end ("subterminal").

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Noah Poropat · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey Partridge and Ruffed Grouse.