Chukar
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The Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.
This partridge has its main (native) range in Asia from Pakistan and Afghanistan in the east to southeastern Europe in the west, and is closely related and similar to its western equivalent, the Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa. It has been introduced widely, and became established in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Hawaii. In Great Britain, hybrids between this species and the also introduced Red-legged Partridge are common.
This is a resident breeder in dry, open and often hilly country. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 8-20 eggs. Chukars will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food.
It is a rotund 32-35 cm long 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 Rock Partridge, Alectoris graeca, but is browner on the back and has a yellowish tinge to the foreneck. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from Red-legged Partridge. The song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar.
This species is declining in parts of its range due to habitat loss and over-hunting.
The Chukar is the national bird of Pakistan and the name is derived from Chakhoor in Urdu.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). [Alectoris chukar]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
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