Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)

Other Names (World)
Grey Partridge, Gray Partridge, Common Partridge, English Partridge

Family
Phasianidae (Pheasants, Partridges, Turkeys, Grouse)

Size
29 - 31 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Habitat
Lowland grassland and agricultural land.

Range (Guide)

Albania (B), Andorra (B) (NB), Armenia (B), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Belarus (B) (NB), Belgium (B) (NB), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (NB), Canada, China (mainland) (B), Croatia (B) (NB), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B) (NB), Estonia (B) (NB), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (B) (NB), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Greece (B) (NB), Hungary (B) (NB), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Ireland (B), Italy (B) (NB), Kazakhstan (B), Latvia (B) (NB), Liechtenstein (E) (B), Lithuania (B) (NB), Luxembourg (B) (NB), Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of (B) (NB), Moldova (B) (NB), Mongolia (B), Montenegro (B), Netherlands (B) (NB), Norway (B), Poland (B) (NB), Portugal (E) (B), Romania (B) (NB), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (NB), Russia (European) (B) (NB), Serbia (B), Slovakia (B) (NB), Slovenia (B) (NB), Spain (B) (NB), Sweden (B) (NB), Switzerland (B) (NB), Turkey (B) (NB), Ukraine (B) (NB), United Kingdom (B) (NB), Uzbekistan.

Vagrant to Cyprus.

Introduced to New Zealand (E) (B), USA (B).

Population
Estimated population is 5,000,000 - 10,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Seeds, buds, leaves and shoots. Young eat some insects.

Voice
A harsh, 'keirr-ik keirr-ik' uttered at night. A 'pitt pitt pik pirr pik' in alarm and when fleeing.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (65)...)

Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) [XC280951]
by Thomas Magarian from Baaigemkouter, Munte, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium (song)

Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) [XC476611]
by Jarek Matusiak from Powiat \u0142owicki, wojew\u00f3dztwo \u0142\u00f3dzkie, Poland (call)

Nest
A shallow depression on the ground, lined with grass, protected by low, thick, vegetation.

Eggs (Guide)
12 - 17; pale olive-brown; pyriform. Incubation: about 24 days; mainly by female.

Subspecies
Proposed subspecies italica normally included within nominate perdix.

The following 8 subspecies are recognised:

hispaniensis Reichenow, 1892 - North-eastern Portugal and northern Spain.
armoricana Hartert, 1917 - Normandy and central France north to Ardennes and Morvan Mts.
sphagnetorum (Altum, 1894) - North-eastern Netherlands and north-western Germany.
perdix (Linnaeus, 1758) - British Is and Scandinavia to Alps and Balkans.
lucida (Altum, 1894) - Finland east to Ural Mts and south to Black Sea and northern Caucasus.
canescens Buturlin, 1906 - Turkey, Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Iran.
robusta Homeyer & Tancre, 1883 - Basin of lower R Ural east through Kazakhstan to south-western Siberia and north-western China (Xinjiang).
italica Hartert, 1917 - Italy.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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