I just happened on a youtube video of Rock Partridge in Greece, and it’s one of the most captivating films on partridge that I’ve seen. Some of the terrain (which I assume is in Greece) is strikingly similar to the Hell’s Canyon hills I hunt. These birds look and sound like alectoris chukar, but apparently differ a bit. Anyway, check it out…
Not just for the birds
Cool video Bob! Thanks for sharing. And if you hadn’t made the distinction, I would have thought those European birds were the same as those found in the states.
I saw these Rock Partridge while traveling in Greece a couple years ago. My wife and I were on Santorini Island a couple days. It is beautiful, but a highly developed tourist trap for the most part. But my wife and I wanted to get away from the tourist zone, and managed to find a couple trails to hike that were remote by the standard of the island. I noticed a few spent shotgun shell cases (20 Gauge) every once in a while, which puzzled me. I also noticed a few pointing dogs in some back yards, which was interesting but I still didn’t make the connection. But then we jumped a couple small flocks of what I thought were chukars, and the light bulb came on. There were folks hunting here! The island is very dry, with steep volcanic rocky hillsides, so it certainly looks like the chukar country we have here in the NW.
Hey Larry, good to hear from you about these chukar cousins. What a cool discovery you and your wife made. Thanks for your comments.
Im not sure if you’re aware of this or care, but I noticed someone using one of your pictures. I would send this to you privately if I knew how.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=565633510176299&set=pb.148205145252473.-2207520000.1397609671.&type=3&theater
Thanks. I submitted this photo to BHA for a photo contest (which I didn’t receive acknowledgement for, and didn’t win, nor give them permission to use it to promote their organization). Slimy.
the chuckar partridge is cousin of the rock partridge[ alectoris graeca] lives in the Aegean islands. The mainland of Greece has the second speies [alectoris graeca].In northern Greece there is a line that divides the two partridge populations. Rock partridge are more wild ,less tricky,than chuckars. They live on the mountains of all Greece, they are much more difficult to breed in captivity. There is also a subspecies in Italy and Alps, with similar voice to the alectoris Graeca.
Thanks for the information! From your email address, it looks like you’re in Greece. Do you have any pictures you’d like to share of birds over there?