A Partridge? In a Pear Tree?
Species
of partridges, along with pheasants and quails, can be found on
every continent other than Antarctica. Unlike the popular
Christmas song states, chukars are most commonly found in open habitats like
semi-deserts, grasslands, or scrub (an environment with low
trees and shrubbery), not in
pear trees, though they can be seen
in them on occasion.
They were introduced into North America in California in 1932
from Eurasia. Early attempts at introducing them to the US
failed. Native to dry, south-eastern Europe and western
Asia from the Balkans through Turkey, Tibet, and Mongolia, chukar
partridges need semi-arid, open, rocky country
to survive. Therefore, they have done the best in parts of
western United States where adequate water is handy. They
remain by water in the summer months, but during the rest of the
year, they are pretty widespread. They have also been
seen, under extreme circumstances, seeking water sources as deep
as ten feet below the ground in old, abandoned mineshafts.
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