Gray Partridge
The Gray Partridge is a non-native bird from Europe. The original stock, first introduced into Alberta and then spreading into Saskatchewan in the 1920s, came from Hungary, and so they are also known as "Hungarian" partridge.
Unlike their relatives, Gray Partridge form pairs that remain together and raise their young, although females alone incubate the eggs.
They gather into flocks in the fall, and may move into farmyards or even the outskirts of towns and cities. Cold winters and heavy snow cover may cause local populations to decline, but their numbers recover well after milder winters.
Photo courtesy Doug Backlund
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