Barbary partridge
| Barbary partridge | |
|---|---|
| File:Alectoris barbara Tenerife.jpg | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Alectoris |
| Species: | A. barbara
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| Binomial name | |
| Alectoris barbara (Bonnaterre, 1790)
| |
The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) is a gamebird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae) of the order Galliformes. It is native to North Africa.[2]
Distribution
[edit | edit source]The Barbary partridge has its main native range in North Africa, and is also native to Gibraltar[3] and the Canary Islands (Alectoris barbara ssp. koenigi).[4] It has been introduced to continental Portugal and Madeira, though there are no recent records of this species on the latter islands. It is also present in Sardinia.
Description
[edit | edit source]The Barbary partridge is a rotund bird, with a grey-brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is light grey with a broad reddish-brown gorget. It has rufous-streaked white flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings.
It is closely related to its western European equivalent, the red-legged partridge. It is similar to the red-legged partridge, but it has a different head and neck pattern. The song is a noisy tre-tre-tre-tre-tre-cheeche-tre-tre-tre.
Breeding
[edit | edit source]This 33–36 cm bird is a resident breeder in dry, open and often hilly country. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 10-16 eggs. A few cases of breeding in trees in empty nest of African Magpie Pica mauretanica have been documented in Tunisia, probably to escape strong predation on the ground.[5]
The Barbary partridge takes a wide variety of seeds and some insect food. It usually starts feeding and drinking at dawn.[6]
The Barbary partridge is the national bird of Gibraltar where it appears on the 1 pence local coins.[7]
Gallery
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Barbary partridge, Gibraltar
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Eggs of Alectoris barbara - MHNT
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Close-up of Barbary partridge
References
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