Partridge ptarmigan - description, habitat

Tundra partridge (aka Tundra partridge) (chamomile) is a very small bird. She is a very cautious animal, preferring to settle in places as far removed as possible from human life. This is due to the fact that the bird is of commercial value, the excellent taste of its juicy meat is well known to game lovers.

Commercial bird characteristics

This class of birds belongs to the order of chicken and is a representative of the pheasant family. Their main habitat is considered to be mountainous Arctic regions, as well as stony and lichen tundra. In addition, partridges can be found on some islands of the arctic ocean, in the mountains of Scotland, the Alps, the slopes of the Pyrenees, and in several northern regions of Japan. The life of the polar inhabitant reaches 6 years.

The weight of the Ptarmigan reaches 600 grams, and the total length of the bird is 40 centimeters along with its beak and tail. In the mating season, females can gain up to 650 grams in weight. There are practically no visible differences between a female and a male. Only in the winter, when the birds put on a snow-white plumage, males form black stripes that are clearly visible on the bird's head.

Kekliki spend most of their life on the ground, they feel very confident on their feet and run superbly. For recreation, these birds settle down, hiding in the thickets of shrubs, under the cover of mosses or sitting in the crevices between the stones. They adapted to wait out winter frosts, making holes in the snow, hiding there from the weather for most of the day. For feeding, these northern birds prefer to choose morning or evening hours.

Mostly partridges lead a sedentary lifestyle, adhering to the limits of their land. However, in winter, when weather conditions are especially severe, they are forced to migrate to more southern areas, becoming similar to other representatives of this detachment. On average, the range of partridge flights does not exceed the mark of 500 kilometers, however, the inhabitants of Greenland are forced to travel distances reaching 1000 kilometers.

In the natural habitat of the Kekliks there are a lot of different enemies, on the earth they are trapped by inventive arctic foxes and treacherous foxes, for which partridge meat is a valuable trophy. And in the sky they are chased by various birds of prey, with which low-skilled flyers can not compete with the flight class. The ptarmigan is one of the commercial birds that are allowed to hunt. However, the remote location of their habitats makes them a rare prey for hunters.

Mating season

Tundra cupcakes prefer monogamous relationships, but the peculiarity of their type is that, if the number of females within the family's habitat exceeds the number of males, then gallant cavaliers do not disregard single friends, patronizing several females. It is noteworthy that in this case the nest is built one for all the females belonging to a wealthy male. Nevertheless, the relations among females caught in a similar situation are quite friendly, and the female with the brightest summer plumage becomes an unconditional favorite.

A male Keklik male chooses a site for settlement and nesting. The entire territory of the community, during the removal of the chicks, is divided into zones of influence, the borders of which are zealously defended. If the limits of the possessions of the Tundra Kekliks are associated with the habitats of the White Partridge, then a peaceful existence between males of different subspecies cannot be expected.

Puberty partridge puberty occurs after one year of life, and with the approaching spring, birds create their first pair. The female is engaged in the construction of the nest, preferring plots with low grass for this. In extreme cases, she uses a place under the cover of stones or will arrange a small hole in soft soil.

To maintain a stable temperature inside the nest, during the incubation period, the female uses personal litter technology. For this, dry grass is carefully selected, which is mixed with moss and covered with feathers from its own "wardrobe".

The beginning of the mating activity of Tundra partridges depends on the habitat of the population. This period is determined by weather conditions and lasts from the second half of May to the last days of June. In the clutch of a female, there are from 8 to 20 eggs; they have a characteristic yellow-red hue camouflaged by dark spots. Partridge incubation periods last up to 26 days. Hatched chicks dry out for several hours, then they rise and no longer lag behind their parents. If the chicks happen to be orphaned, they are adopted by foster parents.

Molting features

Females of the Tundra partridge have the individual characteristics of spring molting; the winter feather is replaced by their summer feather in a short period of time, so that by the beginning of the breeding season they will be “fully armed”. Birds living in regions with more severe northern conditions also have peculiar differences in the characteristics of molting. Warm plumage, located on their feet, they retain even in the summer.

But partridges of this subspecies living in the territory of Scotland, in winter, retain summer colors in their plumage. A characteristic feature of molting males is the transitional form in the spring, when the variegated feathers of the summer color appear mixed with white ones.

Distinctive color features of young partridges

For the first time in the adult plumage young growth dresses, as a rule, in the fall, and it looks very variegated. A gray-yellow color forms on the neck of young birds, which begins from the head of the bird and descends, covering the upper part of the chest. The abdomen of a young individual is almost completely painted white. Their chest and sides are covered with autumn plumage in the first place. The character of the color in these places acquires a streaky structure of a yellowish hue, located on a gray, and sometimes on a grayish-brown background. The back and sides on the neck of young fashionistas are decorated with plumage with a motley placer, consisting of spots of white and cream shades.