Gray partridge: what is this bird, where does it live and what does it feed on?

As can be understood from the name, the gray partridge is painted very modestly. The main color predominates over a large part of the body. The abdomen is white, with a small reddish patch of horseshoe shaped on it.

The body has not a solid gray color: this coloration is markedly marked by a lot of brownish specks, which are especially numerous on the wings. As a rule, the gray partridge does not shine in large sizes: the male can have a weight of 500 g, while the female rarely grows up to 300 grams.

Most often these birds live in dry fields, ravines, beams, meadows, steppes and copses. Often, young partridges can be found even on a potato field, but where often they feed on cereal fields. When autumn comes, the gray partridge moves to areas of fields overgrown with dry weeds.

In the Caucasus and in the southern countries, they often get into the reeds: of course, they are far away from pheasants, but birds also like thick and strong shelters.

The main difference and unique feature of partridges is that they not only avoid plowing and cultivation of lands, but even spread after them to previously uninhabited areas. That is why they are extremely valuable for hunting.

Considering that today the gray partridge is one of the most common commercial birds, it is produced in large quantities.

As can be judged by the places of distribution, these are predominantly terrestrial birds. From a distance they can be confused with domestic chickens, because most of the partridge digs in the ground and runs around the field. The impression is erroneous: birds fly perfectly.

Dismounted from their aft site, they break off from the field, terrifyingly noisy. Their flight is peculiar, since its trajectory is almost straight and located almost to the ground. Considering the way of her life, it is not surprising that the gray partridge is a purely social bird, and singles can be found only in the mating season.

They break up in pairs at the beginning of April. But the nesting time comes not later than the second half of May, and only in the southern regions it can be earlier.

Birds never arrange complicated nests. A place for hatching for eggs and growing chicks is just a small hole right in the ground, at the bottom of which carelessly lie feathers and down. Fecundity of partridges inspires respect, as mature females can postpone up to 26 eggs at a time.

Chickens appear in three weeks. They have a brownish-yellowish coloration with rare black spots. Just a couple of hours after leaving the egg, the chick is already running very fast. In the photo of a gray partridge, the article shows how small they are.

A week later they are already flying, as the flight feathers grow at an astonishing speed. That is characteristic, at a brood there are both parents simultaneously. For quite some time they have been teaching the young generation all the wisdoms of survival. The male often behaves heroically, attracting large predators, when they are in dangerous proximity to the nest.

In general, the bird is very characteristic of our country: even veterans of the Patriotic War say that the voice of the gray partridge, heard by them in a foreign land, reminded them of their home.