Breeding birds: 73,000 territories
Family: Pheasants, Partridges & Quail
Male red-legged partridges have sandy-grey upperparts. Their bellies are rufous and their flanks are heavily marked with rust-coloured vertical bars with fine black and white edges. They have sandy-grey uppertail coverts, and rufous undertail coverts.
Their breasts are sandy-grey with black triangular patches, and they have a white chin and throat with a black collar. The sides of the neck are buffy-brown with fine black streaks.
The head, crown, and nape are rufous-brown and their forehead is pale bluey-grey. They have a black stripe that runs across the eyes and behind extending to the throat, black lores, and a white supercilium. There is a short crest on the head which shows when the bird is alarmed or excited.
They have red bills, brown eyes with a red eye-ring, and red legs and feet with a small tarsal spur.
Female red-legged partridges are similar to the males but their heads and throats are duller and they do not have the spur.
Juveniles are duller with a less conspicuous pattern.
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Red-legged partridges breed in spring. The male chooses the nest site and builds the nest which is a scrape in the ground hidden in grass or bush, lined with vegetation.
Red-legged partridges lay 10-16 cream-coloured eggs with reddish-brown spots which are incubated by the female alone for 23-24 days. The male may occasionally sit on the nest if the female is absent.
Chicks have brown and cream down and are cared for by both parents for a few days. They can fly 10 days later and will remain in the family group until the first winter.
Red-legged partridges eat mainly plant matter but will also take ants, grasshoppers, and other insects from the ground.
Red-legged partridges can be seen all year round particularly in the east of England, as well as the Welsh borders and eastern Scotland. Look out for groups in open fields.
Britain's Birds
RSPB Handbook Of British Birds
Collins Bird Guide
Red-legged partridges were introduced into the UK by Charles II in the 1600s who imported them from France for target practice. They now outnumber the native grey partridge.
6 Responses
A beautiful male is nosing around in the grasses in my border and literally walking up and down my Epsom lawn. Sadly, my toothless cat has also spotted it?!
just seen one feeding on seeds at the bottom of my bird table in crieff
Just seen one ground foraging in my garden in Kent. (First time)
First time ever! Just seen a red legged partridge walking around my large garden in North Yorkshire.
Just seen 3 in our garden in Cumbria. We had also seen them earlier in the year walking up the beckside.
Are they normally in Cumbria?
Fairly sure I’ve just seen a pair in Wester Ross! Could they have spread to the west coast?