Red-legged partridge

Scientific name: Alectoris rufa
Bird family: Pheasants and partridges
UK conservation status: Introduced
Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Red legged partridge call

Key information

Larger than the grey partridge, it has a large white chin and throat patch, bordered with black. It has a greyish body with bold black flank stripes and a chestnut-sided tail. It is an introduced species, brought to the UK from continental Europe, where it is largely found in France and Spain.

What they eat:

Seeds and roots.

Measurements:

Length:: 32-34cm

Wingspan:: 47-50cm

Weight:: 400-550g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.

UK breeding:: 73,000 territories

Identifying features:

Red-legged partridge

Feather colour: Black Blue Brown Cream/buff Grey Orange White

Leg colour: Pink Red

Beak: Red Short Curved Chunky

Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Heathland Urban and suburban

Similar birds:

Grey partridge

Where and when to see them

Red-legged partridges are most numerous in England, especially in the east, with some birds in the Welsh borders and in eastern Scotland. Usually seen in groups in open fields.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.

Resident
Passage
Summer
Winter

You can see red-legged partridges all year round.

Video

A partridge braves the windy conditions

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Red-legged partridge

Red legged partridge call