Stone Partridge

Ptilopachus petrosus

Least ConcernRareOmnivoreRockyScrapeMedium · 193 g

About the Stone Partridge

The stone partridge is a bird of the New World quail family. This largely brown bird, which commonly holds its tail raised, is found in scrubland and lightly wooded habitats, often near rocks, from Kenya and Ethiopia to Gambia.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The stone partridge is exceptional among gamebirds in that the female, to human eyes, is showier than the male. Both sexes are predominantly earthy chocolate brown above, with sparse, pale, cream-grey spotting. The head, neck, and chest are paler brown and have broad cream edging to the feathers that gives the bird a scaled appearance. In males, the lower chest and belly are orange-cream; in females, very pale cream. Both sexes raise their crown feathers to form a rudimentary crest, but the feathers of females are somewhat longer, hence more obvious when raised.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Mauritania.

When to see it

Peak activity in December · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Stone Partridge for real

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