Perdix
Encyclopedia
Perdix is a genus of partridge
s with representatives in most of temperate Europe
and Asia
. One member of the genus, the Grey Partridge
, has been introduced to the United States
and Canada
.
These are non-migratory
bird
s of open country. The nest is a lined ground scrape in or near cover. They feed on a wide variety of seeds and some insect
food.
These are medium-sized partridges with dull-coloured bills and legs, streaked brown upperparts, and rufous tails and flanks barring. Neither sex has spurs on the legs, and the only plumage distinction is that females tend to be duller in appearance.
Grey and Daurian Partridge
s are very closely related and similar in appearance, and form a superspecies. Tibetan Partridge
has a striking black and white face pattern, black breast barring and 16 tail feathers instead of the 18 of the other species.
None of the species is threatened on a global scale, but the two more widespread partridges are over-hunted in parts of their range. The Grey Partridge has been badly affected by agricultural changes, and its range has contracted considerably.
The Tibetan Partridge seems secure in its extensive and often inaccessible range on the Tibetan plateau
.
The bird shares its name with the nephew of Daedalus
of Greek mythology
, who was transformed into the bird when his uncle murdered him in jealousy.
A prehistoric species only known from fossil
s was described as Perdix palaeoperdix. Occurring all over southern Europe during the Early - Late Pleistocene
, it was a favorite food of the Cro-Magnon
s and Neanderthal
s. The relationships between the prehistoric species and the Grey Partridge are somewhat obscure; while very similar, they might be better understood as sister species rather than the Grey Partridge evolving
from the Pleistocene taxon
.
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
s with representatives in most of temperate Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. One member of the genus, the Grey Partridge
Grey Partridge
The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
, has been introduced to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
These are non-migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s of open country. The nest is a lined ground scrape in or near cover. They feed on a wide variety of seeds and some insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
food.
These are medium-sized partridges with dull-coloured bills and legs, streaked brown upperparts, and rufous tails and flanks barring. Neither sex has spurs on the legs, and the only plumage distinction is that females tend to be duller in appearance.
Grey and Daurian Partridge
Daurian Partridge
The Daurian Partridge Perdix daurica is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The name derives from the "Dauria" region....
s are very closely related and similar in appearance, and form a superspecies. Tibetan Partridge
Tibetan Partridge
The Tibetan Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. They are found widely across the Tibetan Plateau and have some variations in plumage across populations. They forage on the ground in the sparsely vegetated high altitude regions, moving in pairs...
has a striking black and white face pattern, black breast barring and 16 tail feathers instead of the 18 of the other species.
None of the species is threatened on a global scale, but the two more widespread partridges are over-hunted in parts of their range. The Grey Partridge has been badly affected by agricultural changes, and its range has contracted considerably.
The Tibetan Partridge seems secure in its extensive and often inaccessible range on the Tibetan plateau
Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau , also known as the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is a vast, elevated plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai, in addition to smaller portions of western Sichuan, southwestern Gansu, and northern Yunnan in Western China and Ladakh in...
.
The bird shares its name with the nephew of Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, who was transformed into the bird when his uncle murdered him in jealousy.
Species
- Grey PartridgeGrey PartridgeThe Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
, Perdix perdix- Italian Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix italica - extinct (c.1990); validity doubtful
- Daurian PartridgeDaurian PartridgeThe Daurian Partridge Perdix daurica is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The name derives from the "Dauria" region....
, Perdix dauurica - Tibetan PartridgeTibetan PartridgeThe Tibetan Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. They are found widely across the Tibetan Plateau and have some variations in plumage across populations. They forage on the ground in the sparsely vegetated high altitude regions, moving in pairs...
, Perdix hodgsoniae
A prehistoric species only known from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s was described as Perdix palaeoperdix. Occurring all over southern Europe during the Early - Late Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, it was a favorite food of the Cro-Magnon
Cro-Magnon
The Cro-Magnon were the first early modern humans of the European Upper Paleolithic. The earliest known remains of Cro-Magnon-like humans are radiometrically dated to 35,000 years before present....
s and Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s. The relationships between the prehistoric species and the Grey Partridge are somewhat obscure; while very similar, they might be better understood as sister species rather than the Grey Partridge evolving
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
from the Pleistocene taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
.