The see-see partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.
Region
Middle East and Southwest Asia
Typical Environment
Native to arid and semi-arid regions from southeastern Turkey and Syria east through Iraq and Iran to western Pakistan. It favors rocky hills, dry wadis, sparsely vegetated slopes, and scrubby foothills, often near scattered cultivation. The species uses broken terrain for cover and will frequent areas with scattered boulders and low thorn scrub. Water sources are used regularly in the driest parts of its range.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The see-see partridge is a small desert gamebird of the pheasant family (Phasianidae), noted for its preference to run over flying. Its common name comes from the sharp, whistled 'see-see' call. It forms tight family coveys outside the breeding season and explodes into short, whirring flights only when closely approached. Cryptic sandy plumage helps it blend into rocky, arid hillsides.
Temperament
wary and elusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides, usually downhill
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it forms small coveys that forage and roost together. Nesting is on the ground in a shallow scrape hidden among stones or scrub, with clutches typically of many eggs. Pairs are strongly territorial during breeding, and coveys break up in spring. Much time is spent running between cover and dust-bathing at favored sites.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The call is a sharp, repeated whistled 'see-see' or 'tsi-tsi' that carries over rocky slopes, giving the species its name. Other vocalizations include low clucks during foraging and harsh alarm calls when flushed.
Plumage
Sandy-brown to grey-brown upperparts with fine vermiculations; paler underparts with barred flanks. Males show a neatly patterned head with pale supercilium and a contrasting grey throat; females are duller and more uniformly mottled. Both sexes have short rounded wings and a short tail suited to fast take-offs in broken terrain.
Diet
Feeds mainly on seeds and small bulbs, as well as green shoots and leaves of desert shrubs and grasses. Insects such as beetles, ants, and other invertebrates are taken especially in the breeding season and by growing chicks. It will glean on the ground and pick food from low vegetation.
Preferred Environment
Forages on open, stony slopes, along dry streambeds, and at the edges of sparse scrub. It often visits waterholes or irrigated plots in early morning and late afternoon, exploiting microhabitats with scattered cover.
