Partridge, << PAHR trihj, >> is the bird that people in the northern and western parts of the United States call quail, or bobwhite. It is known to many Southerners as partridge. New Englanders use the term partridge for the ruffed grouse. Canadians call the spruce grouse the swamp partridge or spruce partridge.
However, scientists consider about 150 kinds of birds in the Eastern Hemisphere to be true partridges. The gray partridge is typical of this group. It has been imported into America in large numbers for breeding purposes. It is also known as the Hungarian partridge or common partridge. This bird lives throughout Europe and in northern Africa and western Asia.
Loading the player...Gray partridge
The gray partridge may grow to 1 foot (30 centimeters) long. The upper body parts are ashy-gray with brown and black markings. Often there is a crescent-shaped spot of deep chestnut on the breast. The bird eats grains, tender plant shoots, and insects. It builds its nest on the ground. The female lays from 8 to 20 eggs. The gray partridge is an important game bird in the Northwestern United States and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. The chukar, another type of partridge, is native to Asia and Europe. It also is important in the Northwest.
