The grey partridge Perdix perdix
One of the most notable lowland birds of the British countryside, the grey partridge is now in decline. Richard Brigham profiles this iconic game bird
Once a most familiar and iconic bird of the British countryside, the grey, or English partridge (Perdix perdix) became the prime sporting bird throughout lowland Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Widely distributed over arable farmland areas, numbers peaked between 1870 to 1930, when an estimated two million were shot annually. Most notably, virtually all were wild, naturally-produced birds, whose numbers continued to thrive and prosper due to careful habitat management and gamekeeping skills.
Since suffering a severe loss of habitat and vital food supplies, both numbers and distribution have declined dramatically, the former by as much as 80 per cent over the last 40 years or so. Burgeoning populations of predators have also hastened the decline, and estimates currently put the resident UK population at somewhere between 40,000 to 50,000 breeding pairs.
Although appearing dull grey-brown at a distance, seen close-up our native partridge is far more handsomely attired than it’s name would suggest. The upper plumage is streaked and barred with attractive patterns of cream, chestnut and dark brown on the back and wings. The light grey-blue breast feathers are finely penciled with darker markings. Fading to white towards the tail, the flanks are heavily barred with chestnut, and both adults have distinctive horseshoe-shaped patches of chestnut feathers on the breast.
These patches are usually far more pronounced in the male, as is the orangebrown face and throat, smaller and duller in the hen. The sexes can be separated easily by close examination of the scapular feathers (shoulder coverts) which are striped lengthways with buff-white in the cock, and have two bars running across each feather in the hen, the so-called
‘Cross of Lorraine’. The legs of both adults are grey, the tail red-brown.
Juveniles are much browner overall, and at first lack the orange face and chestnut breast patches until completing their first full moult. Their legs are yellowish-brown.
Pairing up well before nesting time, the female lines a shallow scrape with local materials among thick cover, mainly field margins, where a clutch of 14 to 15 eggs – sometimes more – are incubated by the hen alone, although her partner is never far away, keeping an eye out for danger.
Incubation takes roughly 23 days, and once dried out and on the move, the tiny chicks are able to fend for themselves on an exclusive diet of insects, the supply of which is crucial at this early stage.
Both birds are devoted and attentive