Bird Guide

Red-legged Partridge vs Rock Partridge

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Red-legged Partridge

Alectoris rufa

Large528 gShrubland

Adult red-legged partridges are sandy-brown above, pinkish-buff on the belly, and pale grey on the breast, with a prominent gorget of black streaking, bold rufous and black flank-bars, a cream throat, pink legs, and a red bill and eye ring. The crown and upper nape of adult red-legged partridge are a warm pinkish-brown; the fore crown and lateral edges of the crown are pale blue-grey, and the bird has a narrow off-white supercilium running from above the lores to the sides of the lower nape. The lores have a solid bar of black feathering above a patch of pinkish-red skin.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Red-legged Partridge
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Alarm call, call · Arrondissement de Narbonne (near Ouveillan), Aude, Occitanie, France · CC0
Photo: Bouke ten Cate · CC BY 4.0
Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca)

Rock Partridge

Alectoris graeca

Large594 gRocky

The rock partridge is a rotund bird, with a light brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked 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 very similar to the chukar partridge, but is greyer on the back and has a white, not yellowish foreneck. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from red-legged partridge. The song is a noisy ga-ga-ga-ga-chakera- chakera- chakera.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: R. J. Mathar · 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: Red-legged Partridge and Rock Partridge.