Chukar

The Chukar is a stocky, well-camouflaged partridge native to rocky, arid terrain across the Middle East and Central and South Asia, and widely introduced to the western United States and elsewhere for hunting. Its most striking features are a bold black band running from the forehead through the eye and down around the throat like a necklace, encircling a pale buff-white throat patch, paired with vivid black-and-chestnut barred flanks. A soft gray-buff body and reddish bill, legs, and eye-ring complete the pattern.

• Gorget stripe: a solid black band running through the eye and around the throat, enclosing a clean white-buff throat patch—the species' single best field mark.
• Flank feathers: boldly barred in black and chestnut on a gray-buff ground, among the most vividly patterned flanks of any partridge.
• Breast: plain soft gray, unmarked, contrasting with the busier flank pattern.
• Back and wings: warm gray-buff with a smooth, unstreaked look.
• Bill, legs, eye-ring: coral-red, a useful confirming feature alongside the feather pattern.

Sexes look similar, though males average slightly larger with a small leg spur that females typically lack. Juveniles are duller and lack the crisp gorget stripe and barred flanks until after their first molt. Adults molt fully once per year after breeding, keeping the gorget and flank pattern sharp through most of the year.

Chukar inhabit steep, rocky, sparsely vegetated hillsides and arid steppe from the eastern Mediterranean through the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Himalayan foothills, with introduced populations well established in the mountainous, dry country of the western United States. The species is non-migratory, though it may move seasonally between different elevations for food and water.

This species prefers running uphill over flying and is well adapted to steep, broken terrain, feeding on seeds, leaves, and shoots supplemented by invertebrates. Coveys stay in loose groups outside the breeding season and roost together on the ground for warmth. Nests are shallow ground scrapes tucked among rocks or brush. Its call is a loud, repetitive 'chuk-chuk-chukar' that gives the species its name.