Przevalski's partridge or the rusty-necklaced partridge, is a bird species in the family Phasianidae. It is found only in China.
Region
Qinghai–Gansu Plateau, north-central China
Typical Environment
Occurs on arid to semi-arid hillsides with sparse shrubs, rocky outcrops, and steppe grasslands. It uses juniper scrub, thorny bushes, and gullies for cover and nesting. Birds may also forage along field margins and terraced slopes near human settlements. Outside the breeding season it spreads into open slopes where visibility is good but cover is nearby.
Altitude Range
1500–4000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the rusty-necklaced partridge, it is named after the explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky. A close relative of the chukar, it prefers to run uphill and only flushes in a burst when pressed. Its bold rusty-and-black neck collar is a key field mark in its rocky upland home.
Temperament
wary and secretive
Flight Pattern
explosive burst with short rapid wingbeats, then glide downhill
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it gathers in small coveys that feed and roost together. In spring it forms monogamous pairs and nests on the ground under dense shrub or grass tussocks. Nests are shallow scrapes lined with vegetation; the female incubates while the male often stands guard nearby.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Its call is a series of harsh, accelerating chuk or chuck notes reminiscent of the chukar. Males deliver ringing, far-carrying phrases from rocks or ridge tops at dawn and dusk. Alarm calls are sharp and clipped when flushed.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a greyish breast, bold black-and-rusty necklace around a whitish throat, and strongly barred flanks. Face pale with a dark eye-stripe that merges into the gorget. Underparts buffy with chestnut and white flank bars.
Diet
Feeds primarily on seeds and grains from grasses and forbs, along with green shoots, leaves, and buds. Insects such as beetles, ants, and their larvae are taken more often in spring and summer, providing protein for growing chicks. It also pecks at bulbs and fallen berries when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages on open, stony slopes, steppe edges, and along scrubby gullies where it can quickly reach cover. It often uses field margins, paths, and terraced ground to pick scattered seeds and invertebrates.
