Chukar Partridge

This partridge has its native range in Asia, including Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, Kurdistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and India, along the inner ranges of the western Himalayas to Nepal, as well as southeasternmost Europe in Bulgaria and Greece. Initial introductions into the US were from the nominate populations collected from Afghanistan and Nepal. The birds are hunted across the dry, rocky Columbia Basin, especially in the vicinity of the Snake River in Washington and Oregon. It has also been introduced to New South Wales in Australia but breeding populations have not persisted and are probably extinct. A small population exists on Robben Island in South Africa since it was introduced there in 1964. The chukar readily interbreeds with the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), and the practice of breeding and releasing captive-bred hybrids has been banned in various countries including the United Kingdom, as it is a threat to wild populations.

The chukar partridge is part of a confusing group of "red-legged partridges". Several plumage variations within the widespread distribution of the chukar partridge have been described and designated as subspecies. In the past the chukar group was included with the rock partridge (also known as the Greek partridge). The species from Turkey and farther east was subsequently separated from A. graeca of Greece and Bulgaria and western Europe.

The chukar has 14 recognized subspecies: * A. c. chukar (nominate species) (J. E. Gray, 1830) - eastern Afghanistan to eastern Nepal * A. c. cypriotes (Hartert, 1917) - southeastern Bulgaria to southern Syria, Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus * A. c. dzungarica (Sushkin, 1927) – northwestern Mongolia to Russian Altai and eastern Tibet * A. c. falki (Hartert, 1917) – north central Afghanistan to Pamir Mountains and western China * A. c. kleini (Hartert, 1925) – northern Greece through Bulgaria and north Turkey to the Caucasus * A. c. koroviakovi (Zarudny, 1914) – eastern Iran to Pakistan * A. c. kurdestanica (Meinertzhagen, 1923) – Caucasus Mountains to Iran * A. c. pallescens (Hume, 1873) – northeastern Afghanistan to Ladakh and western Tibet * A. c. pallida (Hume, 1873) – northwestern China * A. c. potanini (Sushkin, 1927) – western Mongolia * A. c. pubescens (R. Swinhoe, 1871) – inner Mongolia to northwestern Sichuan and eastern Qinghai * A. c. sinaica (Bonaparte, 1858) – northern Syrian Desert to Sinai Peninsula * A. c. subpallida (Zarudny, 1914) – Kyzyl Kum and Kara Kum Mountains (Tajikistan) * A. c. werae (Zarudny and Loudon, 1904) – eastern Iraq and southwestern Iran

, Utah, US]] This species is relatively unaffected by hunting or loss of habitat. Its numbers are largely affected by weather patterns during the breeding season. The release of captive stock in some parts of southern Europe can threaten native populations of rock partridge and red-legged partridge with which they may hybridize. British sportsmen in India considered the chukar as good sport although they were not considered to be particularly good in flavour. Their fast flight and ability to fly some distance after being shot made recovery of the birds difficult without retriever dogs. During cold winters, when the higher areas are covered in snow, people in Kashmir have been known to use a technique to tire the birds out to catch them.

In the non-breeding season, chukar partridge are found in small coveys of 10 or more (up to 50) birds. In summer, chukars form pairs to breed. During this time, the cocks are very pugnacious in their calling and fighting. Chukar will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. It also ingests grit. Birds in captivity can die from Mycoplasma infection and outbreaks of other diseases such as erysipelas.

The name is onomatopoeic and mentions of chakor in Sanskrit, from northern Indian date back to the Markandeya Purana (c. 250–500 AD). In North Indian and Pakistani culture, as well as in Hindu mythology, the chukar (referred as Chakor) sometimes symbolizes intense, and often unrequited, love. It is said to be in love with the moon and gazes at it constantly. Because of their pugnacious behaviour during the breeding season they are kept in some areas as fighting birds.