Partridge (gray, bearded) — widely distributed species.
Description of the bearded partridge:
Very similar to the gray partridge, but differs at close range by having a black, rather than brown, abdominal spot, and a light reddish color on the chest alongside gray. Additionally, there is a black stripe under the eye across the cheek. In autumn and winter, both males and females have elongated feathers on the sides of the throat — a "beard." Seasonal changes in coloration are minor; the female differs from the male by having a transverse pattern on the wing coverts, a narrower reddish stripe (on average 5 mm) on the forehead (9 mm on the male), and a teardrop shape of dark spots on the crown (narrow streaks on the male), as well as wide white streaks on the ear coverts. The abdominal spot is small and sometimes absent. Young birds until autumn (like downy chicks) are practically indistinguishable from young gray partridges. From autumn to summer, in their first adult plumage, they are externally indistinguishable from older birds, but can be identified by the narrow and worn two outer flight feathers. Weight is 250-400 g, length 29-33 cm, wing 14.8-16.4 cm, wingspan 48-52 cm.
Description of the gray partridge:
Slightly larger than a pigeon. The plumage consists of various alternating shades of gray, reddish, and brown. From a distance, the combination of a reddish head with a smoky-gray neck is noticeable in birds sitting on the ground. The male has a distinct brown horseshoe-shaped spot on the front part of the belly. The female is generally similar in size and coloration to the male, but the spot on the chest is indistinct and smaller, sometimes absent; the coloration of the neck and upper chest has a less distinct pattern, with an ochre or reddish tint, while the face is less reddish than that of the male. The female has light longitudinal streaks on the chest and transverse light stripes on the wing coverts. Overall, the female is somewhat more monotonous than the male, and this difference is most noticeable in spring. Seasonal changes in coloration are minor. In autumn, in fresh plumage, the coloration is somewhat muted with brownish edges on the coverts. Young birds generally have more brown plumage with spots, without a chest spot and without the reddish-gray combination on the head and neck. Weight is 320-450 g, length 29-31 cm, wing 14.8-16.6 cm, wingspan 45-48 cm.
They inhabit various biotopes: in diverse grasslands with shrubs and forest thickets on plains and river valleys, in forest-steppes, in grain fields and fallows, in forest clearings, on the edges of forests, in ravines overgrown with shrubs, and less frequently in heather wastelands, in hilly sands with thickets of willow or tamarisk. In mountainous areas, they are found in foothills, in fields in the forest belt, and ascend to subalpine meadows.
They are sedentary birds, living in open areas. They feed on a variety of seeds, sometimes insects.
Nests are made on the ground in the form of lined depressions located in secluded places.
The male's call is a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" similar to a rooster's crow, while the females make clucking sounds.
In winter, they migrate to populated areas, roosting in yards, near buildings, as well as in bushes or at the foot of dunes and hills, gathering closely in a flock on the snow on the leeward side.
Red Book