Daurian Partridge
Perdix dauurica
A stout terrestrial bird of open areas with ample grassy or shrubby cover. Moves into agricultural fields in winter to forage on waste grain. Gray-brown overall, with large dark blotch on the belly and orange face and breast, much like similar Gray Partridge, its westerly counterpart. Usually found in medium-sized groups.
Identification
It is a rotund bird measuring roughly 28–30 cm (11–12 in) long. In the fall, males weigh about 200–340 grams (7.1–12.0 oz) and 290–330 grams (10–12 oz) for females. Both sexes have a sandy-orange face and long feathers under the beak, forming a 'beard'. The rest of the head and underparts are pale slate-grey with a buff line on the chest and black belly patch. The female has a smaller belly patch and is slightly duller than the male. Their song sounds like a higher-pitched, sped-up version of the grey partridge's; a shrill, grating kieerr-ik!<p>There are multiple subspecies, differing mainly in the plumage becoming darker and more rufous further east.
Taxonomy
Genus: Perdix; Family: Phasianidae; Order: Galliformes.
- Scientific name
- Perdix dauurica
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1811)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Perdix
Range and habitat
This partridge breeds generally on open grassland or steppe including farmland across much of temperate East Asia from Kyrgyzstan and extending eastward to China and Mongolia. It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, which forms flocks outside the breeding season in Autumn and Winter. In parts of its range, it overlaps with the very similar and closely related grey partridge, with which it forms a superspecies. They inhabit open country, ideally with some adjacent bushes or open woodland.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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