Grey Partridge

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The grey partridge has total length of 29-31cm and a wingspan of 45-48cm. Females are slightly smaller than males and juveniles have a slightly shorter tail than adults. Head and body are rounded, the neck and tail are short. The upper parts of the plumage are mainly dull brown, including the nape and the crown, with the back and rump featuring chestnut barring. The under parts are predominantly grey with further chestnut barring on the flanks and a chestnut tail. The face and head are buff orange.

Grey partridge are gregarious birds and only separate into pairs around February prior to the breeding season, then reform into flocks from July to early August. Adult birds feed principally on plants, the three main groups being grain and weed seeds, cereals and clover, and the green leaves of grasses; a small percentage of insects also feature in the diet. However grey partridge chicks require a diet of over 90% insects in their first few weeks of life.

Did you know?
that grey partridge populations in several European countries fell by more than 80% since 1950? This development has been caused mainly by changing farming practices resulting in a loss of suitable breeding habitats.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	GALLIFORMES
Suborder	PHASIANI
Family	PHASIANIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Perdix perdix
Name (English)	Grey Partridge
Name (French)	Perdrix grise
Name (German)	Rebhuhn
Name (Spanish)	Perdiz pardilla
Local names	Czech: Koroptev polní Danish: Agerhøne Dutch: Patrijs Estonian: Nurmkana Finnish: Peltopyy Hungarian: fogoly Italian: Starna Polish: Kur opatwa Portuguese: Perdiz-cinzenta Romansh: Pernisch grischa Slovak: Jarabica pol'ná Swedish: Rapphöna Turkish: çilkeklik
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
BS Thurner Hof

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Europe, North and Central Asia, introduced to North America
Habitat	Farmland, wasteland, moors, steppes and semi deserts
Wild population	5,000,000-10,000,000 individuals (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	42 reported to ISIS (2006)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 16 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Marek Szczepanek

Why do zoos keep this animal

The grey partrdige, originally a characteristic bird of eastern grasslands, is a good example of a hemerophil species, which could expand its range thanks to traditional agriculture, but which recently lost vast parts of its range due to changes in agricultural practices. The grey partrige is thus a flagship species for campaigns aimed at maintaining or restoring biodiceristy in densely settled and intensively used regions of Europe.

Where habitats have been restored, zoos may contribute to reintroduction programmes by making avaiable zoo-bred birds or technical assitance.

How this animal should be kept

The grey partridge is usually kept in outdoor aviaries of at least 12 m² for one pair. The enclosure should include a shelter of at least 3m² for one pair, or at least a suitable cover to protect the birds from heavy rain and wind. The indoor housing doesn’t need to be heated in a temperate climate. A heating lamp may be useful below 0°C.

Sand, natural soil or bark chips are suitable substrates for the aviary, which should be well planted with shrubs. The indoor facilities should be easy to clean and disinfect, such as concrete covered with bark chips.

Partridges are fed a standard pheasant diet consisting of pellets mixed with wheat, fruit, and salad. Limestone or grit should be available all the time, especially in the case of bark-covered soil, together with fresh water. The food should be placed in the indoor housing or under a cover in order for it to be protected from rain. Before and during the breeding season the feed should be supplemented with vitamins and mineral powder.

The birds should be dewormed twice a year, usually in February and September.