Gray Partridge Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A plump chickenlike bird with a rotund body, a small head, a short tail, and a short, thick bill. Flies on short and rounded wings.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Western Meadowlark, smaller than a Ring-necked Pheasant.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 11.8-13.0 in (30-33 cm)
    • Weight: 13.6-17.6 oz (385-500 g)
    • Wingspan: 20.9-22.1 in (53-56 cm)

  © John Hanna / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Gray above with a tan to orange face and rusty stripes on the sides. Gray below with a rusty tail and a brown horseshoe-shaped patch on the breast, larger on males.

• Behavior

  Forages on the ground in small groups made up of adults and their offspring. Pushes its head forward and flicks its tail while walking and often runs in a crouched position. When disturbed bursts into the air, flying low over the ground with rapid wingbeats.
• Habitat

  In North America found primarily in cultivated fields and grasslands with hedgerows.