Grey Partridge

A plump, round gamebird with a distinctive orange-buff face and grey-brown feathers finely marked with darker lines. It is most easily recognised by the dark chestnut horseshoe-shaped patch on the lower breast. This patch is more noticeable in males and may be smaller or missing in females. When startled into flight, it flies low and straight with fast, stiff wingbeats that curve downwards, showing a reddish-brown tail. This bird is native to farming areas across much of Europe and western Asia. It was introduced to Britain in the late 1700s and is now most common in eastern England and Scotland. It prefers open farmland with a mix of crops, especially places with hedgerows, field edges, and rough grassland. Outside the breeding season, it forms small groups and is often seen feeding in fields left with stubble after harvest. Numbers of this bird have dropped sharply across its range because farming has become more intensive and habitats have become less varied.