The see-see partridge (''Ammoperdix griseogularis'') is a
gamebird in the pheasant family
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
of the order
Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.
This
partridge has its main native range from southeast
Turkey through
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Iraq east to
Iran and
Pakistan. It is closely related and similar to its counterpart in
Egypt and
Arabia, the
sand partridge, ''Ammoperdix heyi''.
This 22–25 cm
bird is a resident breeder in dry, open and often hilly country. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 8-16 eggs. The see-see partridge takes a wide variety of seeds and some insect food.
See-see partridge is a rotund bird, mainly sandy-brown with wavy white and brown flank stripes. The male has a grey head with a black stripe through the eye and a white cheek patch. The neck sides are speckled with white. The head pattern is the best distinction from sand partridge.
The female is a very washed-out version of the male, and is more difficult to distinguish from its relative due to the weak head pattern.
Usually it is seen in pairs or, at the most, in flocks of two to four birds. But flocks of more than fifty birds have also been seen.
When disturbed, see-see partridge prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings. The song is a whistled ''hwit-hwit-hwit''.
References
* ''Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse'' by Madge and McGowan,
{{Taxonbar, from=Q920780
see-see partridge
Birds of Afghanistan
Birds of Pakistan
Birds of Central Asia
see-see partridge