partridge

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partridge
Partridges (Perdix perdix) in winter

Partridges ( Perdix perdix ) in winter

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Chicken birds (Galliformes)
Family : Pheasants (Phasianidae)
Genre : Partridge ( Perdix )
Type : partridge
Scientific name
Perdix perdix
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The partridge ( Perdix perdix ) is a species of bird from the order of the fowl birds (Galliformes). Partridges inhabit steppes and heathlands in large parts of Europe and Asia . They feed mainly on seeds , wild herbs and grains . From a distance, partridges look monotonous gray, which helps to camouflage them. Up close, the reddish head, which contrasts with the gray color of the neck, is clearly visible. In erect birds, the dark horseshoe-shaped spot on the front part of the abdomen is clearly visible.

While the global population is classified as not endangered by the IUCN , the population in Europe is considered endangered because it declined sharply between 1970 and 1990. This is attributed in particular to the destruction of intact habitats due to the conversion of the agricultural landscape into land-adjusted and then intensively farmed with large machines. That is why the partridge was voted Bird of the Year by NABU in 1991 . Since the population of this breeding bird has declined by 94 percent across Europe since 1980, the German Hunting Association declared 2016 the year of the partridge in order to draw attention to the extremely critical situation.

description

Schematic drawing
Partridge, Ireland

General characteristics of the appearance

Like all members of the genus, the partridge is of a stocky shape with short legs, a short round tail and short round wings. The orange-brown head, the light-gray front body and the red-brown side straps are characteristic. With the exception of the central tail feathers, the tail is bright rust-red. In the middle of the underbust there is a more or less strong, in females sometimes missing and often much smaller, dark brown spot in the form of a horseshoe . In spring and summer the partridge wears the magnificent dress, in autumn and winter the simple dress. The straight beak is yellow and brown or gray at the base. Partridges have a body length of about 30 centimeters, a wing length of 14.6 to 16 centimeters and a tail length of 7.2 to 8.5 centimeters. Males and females are similar in size; however, the latter are a little heavier. The body weight ranges from 290 to 415 grams in males and from 300 to 475 grams in females.

Splendid dress

The partridge shows a clearly pronounced sexual dimorphism in its splendid dress . The male has orange to red-brown plumage on the forehead, the sides of the head, as well as on the chin and in the adjacent areas of the throat. The ear covers settle in this area in a dark brown color. The nape of the neck and the crown of the head show a yellowish-brown color, apart from a few black feathers. The upper part of the neck and the front part of the back are light gray in color with a fine blackish curl. The back, the rump and the upper tail-coverts are also grayish in color, but the fine black corrugation is missing here. The lower sides of the neck and the chest are light gray in color with a clearly visible black curl. The sides of the chest and the flanks of the body are drawn with maroon bandages. There is a horseshoe-shaped dark brown spot in the lower part of the chest. The middle steering feathers are yellowish brown, the other steering feathers are maroon. The wings of the hand and the coverts are dark brown with sharply defined yellowish shaft lines. The beak has a horn-colored coloring that can easily turn green. The iris is brownish and the eye ring is light gray to whitish in color. The wax ring around the eyes (Rosenfeld) is carmine red (afterwards the name of a Swiss wine: Oeil de Perdrix ).

The female shows a pale, yellowish-red-brown face compared to the male . The upper head of the female is characterized by wide, oval spots on the shaft, which are bordered whitish to greyish. The ear covers are black-brown in color, interspersed with fine whitish lines. The upper neck area and the entire upper side are brown with irregularly distributed, yellowish shaft marks and spots. In places there is also a yellowish-brown transverse banding. The chest and belly are colored similar to the male, but with a yellowish tinge. Sometimes there is a small, horseshoe-shaped spot in the chest area. The middle control feathers are yellowish-brown, as in the male, the other control feathers are maroon. The wings of the hand and the coverts show a dark brown color with sharply defined, yellowish shaft marks.

Plain dress

In the plain dress worn outside the breeding season, the neck feathers of the males are colored light brown with very light shaft stripes. In females, black patterns and drop-like spots with whitish or blackish borders appear in this area. The drawing of the cover feathers on the shoulders is a sure way to distinguish the rooster from the hen. Only the female has horizontal stripes on the shoulder feathers. They can also be distinguished by the drawing on the top of the head: while the male shows lines, the female has spots. At a greater distance, the rooster cannot be distinguished from the hen with the naked eye on any characteristic. In good lighting conditions and with optical aids, the male can be recognized by the gray neck, the intense orange color of the head and the lack of a border.

Young birds and nestlings

The inconspicuous yellow-brown plumage of the young birds resembles the simple dress of the adult birds. The throat in young males is whitish and can show a slightly yellowish-brown tinge. The chest and flanks are yellowish brown. With individual feathers there is a whitish and brownish border. The central parts of the ventral side are white, the under tail-coverts yellowish-brown. The coloring of the tail feathers is similar to that of very adult birds. The wings of the hand and arm have a conspicuous whitish pattern consisting of bands. In juvenile females, the blackish head plate is clearly visible, which is interspersed with fine brown streaks. The sides of the head show a dark brown color, the shafts are drawn in white. The down plumage of the nestlings is slightly yellowish to cream-colored on the underside. The sides of the head and the throat area have a predominantly yellowish color, the crown a rust-colored color with blackish longitudinal stripes. In the field of vision as well as on the sides of the neck and in the nape of the neck, fine dark points can clearly be seen. The entire back is dark brown, the flanks rather reddish brown.

Similar species

The partridge is similar in size and appearance to the red partridge , the alpine partridge, and the chukar chicken . The red partridge is larger and more monochrome. The face has a white patch on the throat and the wings have finger tips. The Alpine stone grouse has the same distinguishing features as the red grouse, but the white throat spot is outlined in black. A clear, cream-colored throat patch is visible in the Alpine stone fowl. The partridge differs from the quail in its size, weight, color and beak. The quail is around 10 cm smaller and, at around 90 to 110 grams, considerably lighter than the partridge. It is sand- to orange-brown in color and the beak is small and curved.

Locomotion and voice

The partridge usually moves forward striding. However, it can also run very fast. When in danger, it presses flat against the ground. The partridge flies up with a loud roar of wings ; the flight with hasty wing flaps usually takes place low above the ground, with longer gliding distances in between, in which the wings are always bent downwards.

The male's call for territory is expressed in a creaky "kirreck" or "kerrrick" . This call, which varies slightly from individual to individual, is sometimes compared to the creak of a rusty door hinge. From a distance, however, it sounds softer and more melodic. The Revierruf can be heard mostly in late winter and spring. The roosters call in the morning and in the evening and can be heard even after dark.

A high “kerr-ititit” , “gijig gig…” or similar sequences of calls can be heard from flying partridges . It is characteristic that it gradually becomes quieter. Abandoned chicks make a pitiful beep that rises and gets louder.

distribution and habitat

Distribution of the partridge
The partridge is a neozoon in America, here North Dakota , USA

The partridge inhabits large parts of Europe and Asia as a resident bird . The distribution area extends from the British Isles across Central Europe to the southwest and southeast of Europe and in the east to Western Siberia , Turkestan , Pakistan and northern Iran . It is absent in most of Scandinavia and Spain and on many Mediterranean islands . However, endemic subspecies are found particularly on the Iberian Peninsula and in Italy . The partridge was naturalized in North America for hunting purposes and now populates in particular the northern prairies of the USA and southern Canada . It was also introduced by humans in southern Scandinavia and New Zealand .

The partridge lives mainly in lower altitudes below 600 m, but it can also be found in higher altitudes in the low mountain ranges and alpine valleys . The original distribution areas were steppes , especially tree and shrub steppes . Due to their high adaptability, partridges live as crop followers in heaths as well as on arable , green and fallow land , herbaceous vegetation and in richly structured mixed areas. The greatest densities are reached in warmer areas with fertile soils. Optimal habitats are characterized by the changing use of multiple crops in agriculture with hedges , bushes , fields and paths, offer small-scale parcels and have little forest . The necessary cover is provided by a high proportion of border lines, so that the breeding pair density there today can be up to 10 breeding pairs on 100 hectares. Border lines are characterized by many hedge strips and thus a lot of cover. Stubble fields and fallow land are very popular as resting and feeding places. Areas with poor snow winters are clearly preferred. Root crop fields ( potatoes , beets , cabbage ) offer optimal conditions , as the large-leaved plants provide good protection against bad weather and air pollution. The raw soil between the plants heats up quickly and dries up quickly, making dust baths and a quick escape possible.

nutrition

The partridge feeds mainly on seeds , wild herbs and grains . It also eats green parts of plants such as clover and alfalfa leaves , tips of grass and various types of knotweed and plantain . Sometimes it also ingests insects , their larvae and other small animals. Every now and then, ripe fruits and various berries are also eaten. It absorbs small quartz grains ("stomach stones") to promote digestion in the stomach.

The proportion of plant-based food in adult partridges is 30 percent each of green plants, wild herbs and cereals ( wheat , barley , oats and rye ). The remaining 10 percent is covered by animal food. Especially females eat more animal food during the breeding season, mostly ants , beetles , caterpillars and aphids . The food requirement of adult partridges is 50 to 80 grams per day. The water requirement is covered by food.

behavior

Calling partridge

The partridge is mostly active at dusk and during the day. It is not territorial for most of the year. During the breeding season, it occupies a (but relatively small) grazing area without fixed borders that are constantly shifting. The partridge usually remains very faithful to its breeding area and does not leave it even in winter, provided that the food supply and the possibilities for cover allow this. In very severe winters, there is a winter flight over long distances in southern or western directions. Phases of activity and rest alternate regularly. The time it takes to fill the goiter or to digest its contents is determined by the same. The goiter is filled about two to three times a day. Regular sand and dust bathing is an important part of comfort behavior.

In the course of the year, the regular change of social forms triggers intraspecific stress until the appropriate social form such as couple, family, chain, people has been established. Each phase is conspicuously evident through violent confrontations with threats, hunting and fighting. During the warmer part of the year, partridges are either solitary or stick together as a single pair; in the colder months of the year they can come together to form smaller and larger winter groups.

During the breeding season, the pairs are each dependent on the other partner, as they keep as distance as possible from other families in a defined territory. In late summer and autumn the territoriality dissolves insofar as partridges also form small family groups with 5 to 15 birds, consisting of the adult birds and the adult young birds. In the hunter language, such a group is called a "chain". If two chains meet during the summer, violent arguments break out. Individual families can give up their isolation under the impression of winter conditions and temporarily join together in larger groups of up to 25 birds that go for food together. In the hunter's language, such a larger group is referred to as “people”. In most of the distribution areas, these can be observed from mid-November to at most February / March. In both group forms there is only a loose cohesion that does not reveal any hierarchy . Quarrels or fights are seldom seen during the winter.

Towards the end of winter, couples separate from the people in order to reunite or to find each other as a couple. The process of pairing is initiated by the increasing intolerance of same-sex birds, whose developing aggressiveness often ends in fierce fighting. In the threatening position the partridge stands up high, enlarges its contour and shows the dark horseshoe mark on the chest. When the birds look for a brood partner again in the spring, the rivalry among the roosters reaches its climax. Individual males primarily try to attract females from other groups who are ready to mate. The fights consist of pursuit races, wing flaps and bites. Only the pursuit races, as threatening gestures, have a ritualized character with a stretched neck and swollen chest.

Breeding biology

The partridge reaches sexual maturity towards the end of the first year of life. This is the time when the first mating usually takes place. The partridge leads a monogamous brood marriage. This is usually limited to an annual brood, but if there is an early clutch loss, a new clutch is possible. The laying time is in most of the distribution areas between mid / late April and early / mid May.

Pair formation and courtship

The mating season starts right after the snow has melted . As a rule, pairs are rarely formed between individuals in the same chain. Significantly more often, a male from another group woos a female. Couples who had already met the previous year often find their way back together. The courtship activities show obvious differences depending on whether a couple already knew each other from the previous year or not. Birds that are known to each other only show a rudimentary courtship.

The poaching of a female from a strange group almost always leads to fierce comment fights among roosters . The rivals rarely inflict major injuries and even fewer fatalities occur. For courtship, the male stands up, stretches his head in the air and presents the horseshoe-shaped breast spot to a female with slightly hanging wings. In this posture, it sneaks around the courted and tries to get her to his side. If you like it, the hen will show a similar behavior after a while. Finally, the two rub their beaks together and touch the flanks of their courtship partner with their heads. Finally, both of them clean their plumage thoroughly and then go looking for food together. The copulation takes place later.

Nest building and brood care

Egg ( Museum Wiesbaden Collection )

An adequate nesting place is only selected by the hen immediately before the eggs are laid. Partridges are pure ground-brooders that lay their nests in a place that offers cover with sufficient privacy, usually in the middle of dense vegetation . The camouflage is also supported by the coloring of the plumage. Field edges, paths and ditch edges, hedges and wood and forest edges are preferred . The female carefully lines the flat hollow in the ground with soft plant parts.

In most of the distribution areas, eggs are laid from mid-April to July, but above all in May. The female lays between 10 and 20 eggs at one-day intervals  , sometimes only 8 or up to 24. The spindle-shaped to short oval, smooth eggs are monochrome (pale) olive-brown to brownish-gray and sometimes have a slight sheen. They are about 3.5 by 2.7 centimeters and weigh about 13 grams.

Only after the clutch is complete, i.e. the last egg has been laid, the female alone begins to incubate the eggs for about 24 to 25 days. Meanwhile, the male vigorously defends the breeding area. However, if an intruder comes within a few meters of the nesting site, the female flies up violently and often scares off enemies looking for eggs. The female also defends itself against carnivores. Since it is neither cared for nor replaced by the male during brood, the female leaves the clutch for a short time to eat and defecate, which it then covers with vegetation to camouflage itself.

Development of the young birds

All chicks hatch over a period of only one to two days; the hatching weight is seven to eight grams. When they flee the nest , they leave the nest as soon as they dry out and follow the adult birds they lead. The young birds feed independently from the second day of life, in the first weeks almost exclusively from arachnids , insects and their larvae , e.g. B. of ants , small beetles , caterpillars , aphids and other small animals. From the third week of life they also ingest plant seeds and cereal grains and slowly switch to predominantly plant-based food, the proportion of which is already 85 percent after about two months. In the first three weeks, cool weather can lead to a high rate of loss as the young birds quickly become hypothermic and fatigued, making them susceptible to disease .

During the brood and while they are leading young birds, the adult birds usually try to scare off potential enemies or to lure them away from the clutch. In the case of “ enticing ”, an adult bird fakes an injured wing by letting it hang down, so that the attacker should be shown easy prey. The enemy becomes aware of this and is thereby distracted from the clutch.

The partridge becomes capable of flight at around 13 to 15 days of age. It quickly learns through experience to distinguish between its enemies. At the age of about five weeks the young birds are independent. They stay with the family until winter and eventually settle in the surrounding area.

Predators and Life Expectancy

Hunter with 80 killed partridges, 1929

Since partridges are ground birds, they are faced with a number of carnivorous predators . Adult birds are often killed by red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) and larger representatives of the falcon-like species (Falconiformes). Clutches and broods are not infrequently the prey of ravens and crows , martens , wild cats ( Felis silvestris ) and feral domestic cats ( Felis catus ). Birds of prey, especially sparrowhawks ( Accipiter nisus ), goshawks ( Accipiter gentilis ) and buzzards beat the young birds. Common nest predators of the partridge are weasels , wild boars ( Sus scrofa ), European badgers ( Meles meles ), hedgehogs and brown rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). Recently, neozoa such as raccoons and raccoon dogs ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ) have also been hunting the partridges. The partridge can do little with most carnivores other than camouflage and flight.

Adverse weather conditions can have a significant impact on the regional partridge population. Snowy winters and long and wide areas of drought in summer have a particularly negative effect. Cold, wet weather during the hatching period can result in 80 to 100% chick mortality.

Mortality is particularly high in the first year of life . Annual birds in the wild have a life expectancy of two to three years. About 30 percent of the birds live to be two years old, more than 60 percent die before they reach the age of one and are therefore involved in a maximum of one breeding period. Life expectancy in a cage can be around six to seven years.

Existence and endangerment

Stuffed partridge

Inventory development

The partridge has a wide range. The extension is estimated at 10,000,000 km². According to the IUCN , the large global population comprises around 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 individuals. Therefore the species is classified as not endangered (LC).

The European breeding population accounts for less than half of the global distribution. It is estimated at around 1,600,000 pairs. The population declined sharply between 1970 and 1990. While it was stable or even increased in many eastern countries between 1990 and 2000, the decline continued in most of western and central Europe, particularly in France , Switzerland and Poland . Since the European population recorded a decline of more than 90 percent between 1980 and 2015, the IUCN has consequently classified the partridge there as endangered. That makes the partridge the sad record holder and the number one protected object of the hunters in their territories. The population fluctuates greatly as the population declines by 70 to 80 percent in winter.

In Germany the partridge is classified as endangered in the Red List. Here the partridge has shrunk to a remnant of probably no more than 50,000 breeding pairs. The partridge has suffered drastic population losses, especially in Western Europe, since the early 1970s. The main reason for the population decline is the constant intensification and mechanization of agriculture. The cultivation of the energy maize monoculture , which accounts for 2.3 million hectares in Germany alone, has dramatic consequences for biodiversity.

In Hesse, for example, the population is estimated at 5,000 to 10,000 breeding pairs, and the trend in 25 years is estimated to be more than 50 percent decline in the population. The partridge is therefore endangered. The partridge was very widespread in the Rhine-Main area until around 1960 . Until the end of the 1950s / beginning of the 1960s there was a good population in the Offenbach district. From 1970 onwards, however, it fell significantly. A growth rate of three birds per breeding pair can already be regarded as above average. Since the losses in the winter half-year amount to up to 30 percent of the stock, a constant decline can be recorded, even when the hunt is completely spared, while maintaining the agricultural cultivation methods and the structure of the fields. A short-term recovery of the population can only occur in particularly excellent rearing years.

As another example, the partridge population in Saxony has declined by almost 90 percent within just ten years (1995 to 2005). Many field landscapes in Saxony, in which the partridge was still common before 1990, have now become partridge-free.

At the end of the 19th century it was said in Brehms Thierleben : “The partridge inhabits most of Europe. It has spread more and more north from the south, and in Scandinavia and Russia it is apparently still engaged in this northward advance. It prefers plains to mountains under all circumstances . For its well-being, it claims well-cultivated, varied areas; Although it settles in the field, it needs thickets for its protection. It avoids the forest, but not its forest. "

In Austria the bird is classified as critically endangered in the Red List. The population in the country was estimated at up to 15,000 individuals in 2003. However, studies from 2008 indicate an increase to 6,000 to 12,000 breeding pairs. In Carinthia the population is accordingly between 30 and 40 breeding pairs. If you take the hunting statistics as a basis, Burgenland seems to have the largest population by far. The annual kill in this federal state was over 6,000 partridges in 2010, in 2015 it was 2,700, which corresponds to 76% of the Austrian hunting range and exceeds that of the entire Federal Republic of Germany (2,683).

In Switzerland , the partridge is listed as critically endangered and has been considered extinct since 2019. The population of more than 10,000 birds in Swiss arable farming areas in the 1960s has been extinct since 1988, despite being protected. There were fewer than 12 breeding pairs in the entire country in 2008. Since 1972 there have been relatively unsuccessful attempts at resettlement in the cantons of Geneva ( Champagne genevoise ) and Schaffhausen ( Klettgau ). Since 1991, the protection program has been under the leadership of the ornithological station on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Habitat was restored with colorful fallow land, hedges and extensive meadows. From 1998, partridges bred in Klettgau were released. From 2002 to 2004 there were 15-20 pairs. After a v. a. Due to the weather-related collapse of the population, the releases in Klettgau were stopped in 2008. In the Champagne Genevoise , the ornithological station released an average of 500 partridges in autumn from 2008 to 2012. The breeding population increased to 60 pairs in 2012. But the stock collapsed again. The failure was attributed to the small size of the project area of ​​only several square kilometers and the high density of predators. The last observation of partridges was in 2016, but with the 2019/2020 season the partridge is considered extinct in Switzerland. Ruthless hunting, intensive agriculture and protective measures that were introduced too late are the main factors behind the extinction of the partridge in Switzerland.

Hazard and protection

Partridge in the protection of the vegetation

In optimal habitats , the settlement density used to be up to 120 pairs per 100 hectares. Today, densities of one breeding pair per 100 hectares are still achieved on the land-cleared, intensively cultivated with large machines. Therefore, the partridge is already extinct in many areas. Partridges have an increased mortality rate in cold winters and in cold, wet spring months . In contrast to adult birds, young birds do not seek protection under dense vegetation in this weather situation, so that continuous rain in particular regularly leads to soaking and thus to hypothermia, which usually ends with death. In addition to the weather and lack of food, loss through natural enemies is also a cause of loss.

In addition, the increasing use of make pesticides and other pesticides in mechanized agriculture a growing threat. Even in bird sanctuaries pesticides legally be used such. B. in the Moritzburg small peaks landscape . The partridge disappeared there since 2008. Large-scale use of pesticides, including the field margins in intensive use, leads to a lack of insect food during the breeding season, which can lead to the starvation of the chicks. A lower variety of herbs , among other things, causes a lower resistance to diseases . In meadows with an early pruning time, hens are mowed to death together with the clutch, as they sit very firmly on their eggs when the breeding season is advanced. Dogs running in free run are often a permanent disturbance on paved dirt roads that cut through the cultivated landscape , which considerably disrupts the daily activity pattern of the birds. The same problem arises with sport aircraft . But also the increasing density of predators makes the partridge, like many other ground breeders, to create. In Emsland and the county of Bentheim, where the partridge was widespread, particularly the "wasteland cultivation" led to the complete extinction of the populations of the subspecies Perdix p. shagnetorum , the existence of which is controversial in the bog and heathland areas there, while the far more common Perdix perdix is no longer to be found in many communities, mainly due to the rapid expansion of large-scale maize cultivation and the disappearance of fields and embankments.

German Partridge Hunting Route

Due to the regional rarity of the partridge, hunting may only be carried out in Germany if a minimum stocking can be proven by counting. The hunting season extends from September 1st to December 15th. The Naturschutzbund Deutschland has been campaigning for many years to ensure that the partridge is released from hunting rights, which would at the same time eliminate the duty of hunting by the hunters . In contrast to the quail , which is spared from hunting nationwide all year round, only a few federal states have so far reacted to the negative population development. While the hunting season for partridges was canceled in Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony, hunting in Brandenburg was voluntarily suspended for three years. In Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein, the partridge has also been protected all year round since 2015. Hunting was suspended in Hesse from 2016 to December 31, 2019. In Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia, the hunting period has been shortened to two months. The ecological hunting association of Lower Saxony and Bremen demands a ban on driven hunts and a reduction of the hunting time to one month. In the 2015/2016 hunting year, 523 partridges were shot in North Rhine-Westphalia, forty percent more than in the previous hunting season. 1300 partridges were shot in Bavaria, which corresponds to about fifty percent of the German hunting distance , which was 2683.

In largely intact habitats, the partridge can be helped by consistently avoiding insecticides and pesticides as well as asphalting dirt roads. In addition, hedges and field borders should be left in their original condition and fallow land should be preserved and secured. Furthermore, leaving stubble fields for a longer period is beneficial, if possible over the winter. Finally, any hunting should be avoided. If the living space situation needs to be improved, hedges and field borders must be created in addition to these points. In addition, it is necessary to create and protect at least five meters wide, unused strips along bodies of water, hedges, roadsides and between fields. In order to achieve this goal, the hunters' associations of the Emsland and the Grafschaft Bentheim founded a biotope fund to carry out biotope improvement measures. This includes u. a. to motivate farmers with the help of tried and tested seed mixtures and coding options for GAP applications to create perennial retreat and fringing areas on their areas.

Hunting protection projects are ongoing in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony and Thuringia. Predator control is recommended as a supportive measure in many reintroduction projects. Researchers and hunters agree that politicians must be made aware of a course correction in energy policy. There is an opportunity in the “Energy from Wild Plants” initiative: strips with wild herbs loosen up rapeseed, maize and grain fields. They offer a variety of food and habitat for endangered animal species in the fields and can also be used for biogas production.

The partridge was bird of the year 1991. In large parts of Germany, the protective measures described above are already being implemented.

Systematics

External system

The partridge is morphologically , anatomically , ethologically , genetically and serologically assigned to the pheasant-like (Phasianidae). Within this family , it is the genus of partridges ( Perdix assigned) and is closely related to the beard partridge ( Perdix daurica ) and the Tibetan Partridge ( Perdix hodgsoniae used). All three types have the following morphological similarities: The first hand swing is longer than the sixth hand swing; the third to fifth swing arm are the longest and the tail is made up of 16 to 18 control springs of equal length. The oval shaped nasal cover ( opercula ) protects the nostrils, a wax ring around the eyes (Rosenfeld) turns carmine-red during the mating season . In addition, the legs have no spurs .

Internal system

According to ITIS there are eight subspecies:

Other sources, however, assume a larger number of subspecies. Avibase recognizes nine subspecies. Raethel recognizes twelve subspecies.

Due to numerous attempts at naturalization and the often haphazard release of animals, the origin of which is only precisely documented in exceptional cases, many systematic questions can no longer be answered unequivocally today.

Partridge and Man

etymology

In 1758 Carl von Linné called the partridge Perdix perdix . The ancient Greek word perdix (πέρδιξ "partridge") refers to its characteristic sounds. The German name “Rebhuhn” (from Middle High German rëphuon ) is composed of the onomatopoeic “Repp” and the word “ Huhn ”. The spelling, which is reminiscent of vines , has been attested (in addition to various with "p") since Old High German .

Mythology and cult

The best-known version of the story of Perdix (Greek πέρδιξ "Partridge") is found in the Metamorphoses of Ovid , VIII 236-259. As the nephew of the famous master builder Daidalos , he was apprenticed to his uncle by his mother, his sister, at the age of 12. He shows amazing talent and invents u. a. the saw . Daidalos becomes jealous of him and finally throws him down from Athene's holy castle. But the gifted people very well-balanced Athena catches the boy and turns him into a partridge. This metamorphosis has both an explanatory and a warning function. Perdix, the partridge, then represents a constant reproach for the envious Daidalos. This is how it seems to express malicious joy through his sounds, when Daidalos his son Icarus , who had flown too close to the sun, the heat of which melted the wax of his wings, must be buried on Ikaria . In the older Greek literature, Perdix is ​​Daidalos' sister; her son, however, is called Talos.

Burned partridge feathers were considered to be a magical defense against demons , who were blamed for hysteria .

Fables, fairy tales and anecdotes

In Aesop's fable The Partridge and the Chickens , a chicken friend buys a partridge that he wants to run on his farm with his other poultry . But the chickens always chop and drive it away from eating. The partridge is at first very sad because it believes that this reset is happening to it because it is strange. It then retreats into an angle. However, when it sees that the chickens are chopping each other in the same way, it finds consolation and thinks to itself: If these bad animals are hostile even to themselves, I will probably be able to endure such treatment with equanimity.

In the fable Man and the Partridge , a person wants to slaughter a partridge when the latter pleads miserably to spare his life. In return it promises to lure a lot of partridges into its nets out of gratitude. "Oh, how bad is that of you," replied the human, "and all the more I want to kill you because you are mean enough to save yourself, to plunge your friends into ruin."

In the fairy tale from the Arabian Nights, Story of the Partridge with the Turtles , one day a partridge settled down next to the turtles' nest on a tree-planted, fertile island because of the heat . Since they were so friendly towards it, it returned every evening to the turtles, who loved it and no longer wanted to do without all day long. Since the partridge was also very fond of them, it accepted their suggestion to tear out all the feathers on the wing one by one with its beak, so that it could no longer be grasped by the birds of prey in flight. When it was finished, a weasel came by, jumped on it, and tore it up. The turtles before whose eyes this was happening wept with pity. But when the partridge asked them if they could help it with anything other than tears, they said: “In truth, we have nothing else to do against such an evil.” Then the partridge said: “Do not cry, you are innocent , I caused my own misfortune. "

In Ludwig Bechstein fairytale The partridge a richer Jew from Schenk of the king passed through the forest, which killed him there in the presence of an open flown partridge and robbed his treasure. A year later, when the king was served partridges by his tavern, he had to laugh and gave the king a false cause for his laughter. Four weeks later the king had a feast with plenty of wine , at which the tavern was also drunk in a happy mood. The latter took the opportunity and asked him again, convicted of a lie, what was the real reason for his laughter. He learned that a partridge had been blown when the Jew shouted that the birds would reveal the hidden murder. The next day the king consulted his secret council and had the tavern hung on the gallows .

In the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm begins Puss in Boots out of gratitude for the miller's son with a trap partridges and deliver it to the king, who likes to eat partridges. It was a gift from his master, the count . The king thanks with gold . Meanwhile, the miller's son reproaches himself for having spent the last of his money on the boots , when the tomcat comes and gives him the gold. The tomcat continues to catch partridges and makes himself popular at court .

In the anecdote of Luther's adversary , three partridges become a symbol of the Reformation : In those days, two prelates were sitting at the meal in Mühlhausen . When the tongues were loosened from the wine, they turned to Luther's cause and negotiated especially on the question of whether the new teaching would also be introduced in Mühlhausen. And as they waited so impatiently for the next bowl, one of them was angry: "As little as the three partridges fly away that are being turned on the spit in the kitchen, this heresy will not come to power here in our good city!" No sooner had the word been spoken than there was a fluttering and purring from the kitchen like that of frightened partridges. They flew through the open window, rested on a buttress of the nearby Marienkirche and became a stone landmark for all time.

According to tradition, in the 17th century a hunter's boy in Trogen was supposed to catch partridges with a net for his master Christoph Abraham von Feilitzsch . Drunk with sleep, however, the latter dropped a burning wood chip from the holder and set the straw on fire in his bed. The snowstorm that swept through the Regnitz valley quickly lit the fire and blew it on the roofs of the surrounding courtyards and on the roof of the church . In the end, the castle , church, school and 15 farmsteads were in ruins. During the reconstruction, today's building lines were created on the main road.

Game birds and aviary birds

Partridges are considered a delicacy by gourmets for both their eggs and their meat, and they used to be a popular prey among the nobility . Today they are called home - or animals kept. However, wild-caught fish are illegal according to § 20d BNatSchG . If you are interested, breeders will sell animals. Further education through appropriate literature before purchasing these animals is necessary.

Partridges can become trusting if they are kept in a species-appropriate manner and if they receive sufficient care. A combination of industrially produced, age-dependent wild game and ornamental poultry feed with seeds from the aviaries equipped with plants is suitable as partridge feed . In addition, it is recommended to sow wild game mixes with a high proportion of lupins in the aviaries. Old animals also need the addition of wheat grains . Each adult animal is allowed at least 4 square meters. Diseases such as redworm infestation or mycoplasma often occur in keeping and breeding .

literature

  • Hans Behnke and Günter Claussen: Pheasant and Partridge: Biology, Hege, Rearing. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-440-10917-5 .
  • Einhard Bezzel : FSVO manual birds. BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, 2006, ISBN 3-8354-0022-3 .
  • Hans Behnke, Günter Claussen: Pheasant and Partridge. Biology, care, rearing. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, 2007, ISBN 3-440-10917-8 .
  • Rolf Dwenger: The partridge. Perdix perdix. Neue Brehm Bücherei Volume 447, Westarp Sciences, 1991, ISBN 3-89432-373-6 .
  • Helmut Lensing, Das Rebhuhn (Perdix p. Pedix and Perdix p. Shagnetorum) in the Emsland and the Grafschaft Bentheim - An everyday bird disappears, in: Study Society for Emsländische Regionalgeschichte (ed.), Emsländische Geschichte 25, Haselünne 2018, p. 22– 55.
  • Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim : Handbook of the birds of Central Europe . Volume 5: Galliformes and Gruiformes. Aula Verlag, Wiesbaden 1994, ISBN 3-89104-561-1 .
  • Heinz-Sigurd Raethel : quail, partridge, stone fowl, francoline and relatives. Reutlingen publishing house, Reutlingen, 2006, ISBN 3-88627-534-5 .
  • Heinz-Sigurd Raethel: Chicken birds of the world. Neumann-Neudamm, 1991, ISBN 3-89440-440-X .

Web links

Wiktionary: Partridge  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Partridge  album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Partridge  Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ German Hunting Association: 2016 is the year of the partridge , accessed on July 27, 2017
  2. ↑ Behnke and Claussen, p. 112
  3. ^ Hans-Heiner Bergmann, Hans-Wolfgang Helb, Sabine Baumann: The voices of the birds of Europe - 474 bird portraits with 914 calls and chants on 2,200 sonograms. Aula Verlag, Wiesbaden 2008, p. 85, ISBN 978-3-89104-710-1
  4. ^ Hans-Heiner Bergmann, Hans-Wolfgang Helb, Sabine Baumann: The voices of the birds of Europe - 474 bird portraits with 914 calls and chants on 2,200 sonograms. Aula Verlag, Wiesbaden 2008, p. 85, ISBN 978-3-89104-710-1 This source has been used for the onomatopoeic description of the calls.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Rolf Dwenger: The partridge. Perdix perdix. Neue Brehm Bücherei Volume 447, Westarp Sciences, 1991, ISBN 3-89432-373-6
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim: Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas. Volume 5. Galliformes and Gruiformes. Aula Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1994, ISBN 3-89104-561-1
  7. ↑ Behnke and Claussen, p. 113
  8. ↑ a b Eikhorst, Werner, and Jochen Bellebaum. 2004. "Predators come at night - egg losses in meadow bird sanctuaries in East and West Germany". Pp. 81–89 in Wiesenvogelschutz in Niedersachsen, vol. 41, Nature Conservation and Landscape Management in Lower Saxony, edited by Thorsten Krüger and Peter Südbeck. Hildesheim.
  9. ^ RL Potapov, VE Fling (HRSG): Handbook of the birds of the Soviet Union. Volume 4: Galliformes, Gruiformes. Aula Verlag, Wiesbaden 1989, ISBN 3-89104-417-8 , p. 31
  10. ↑ Birdlife Factsheet: Gray Partridge
  11. ^ Birds in Europe: Gray Partridge
  12. ↑ Christoph Grüneberg, Hans-Günther Bauer, Heiko Haupt, Ommo Hüppop, Torsten Ryslavy, Peter Südbeck: Red List of Germany's Breeding Birds , 5 version . In: German Council for Bird Protection (Hrsg.): Reports on bird protection . tape 52 , November 30, 2015.
  13. ↑ a b NABU - The Partridge. Bird of the year 1991
  14. ↑ Focus Online : Energy from corn - devastating environmental balance
  15. ↑ Red List of the Birds of Hesse. 9th version. July 2006.
  16. ↑ Hartmut Poschwitz, Dreieich: Partridge, Quail and Pheasant - Endangered Fowl of the Offenbach District. , Web link ( Memento of the original from February 9, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.na-hessen.de
  17. ^ R. Steffens .: Saxony. Mapping based on quadrants of the topographic map 1: 25,000 (TK25). As of December 2005. Published 2006. - In: K. Gedeon, A. Mitschke, C. Sudfeldt (Eds.): Breeding birds in Germany. First report. Hohenstein-Ernstthal. 51 pages, 2006
  18. ↑ Red List - Austria. Status: 1994
  19. ^ Red list of breeding birds in Carinthia. Status: 1999
  20. ↑ Broder, Aubrecht: Atlas of Breeding Birds in Upper Austria. Ed. Biology Center of Upper Austria. State museums, Linz, 2003
  21. ↑ Sackl, Samwald: Atlas of Breeding Birds of Styria. Edited by Birdlife Austria - Styrian Regional Group & Styrian Regional Museum Joanneum-Zoologie, Graz, 1997
  22. ↑ J. Feldner, P. Rass, W. Petutschnig, S. Wagner, G. Malle, RK Buschenreiter, P. Wiedne, R. Probst: Avifauna Kärntens - Die Brutvögel . Natural Science Association for Carinthia, Klagenfurt, 2006
  23. ↑ J. Feldner, W. Petutschnig, S. Wagner, R. Probst, G. Malle, RK Buschenreiter: Avifauna Carinthia - The guest birds. Scientific Association for Carinthia, Klagenfurt, 2008
  24. ↑ Statistics Austria - Game shoot 2015/2016: Game birds by federal state , accessed on July 27, 2017
  25. ↑ Red list of endangered species in Switzerland: breeding birds. Status: 2001
  26. ↑ Naturschutz.ch: Chances and Limits of Resettlement - Experiences from the Partridge Project , July 8, 2015, accessed on July 27, 2017
  27. ↑ Partridge: another cultivated land species has disappeared | Swiss Ornithological Institute. Retrieved July 6, 2020 .
  28. ↑ Glyphosate in the bird sanctuary. In: mdr.de . June 14, 2019, accessed June 16, 2019 .
  29. ^ F. Müller: Disturbance of ground breeders by flying objects. Example partridge. Acta ornithoecol. 3 (3), pp. 311-313, 1996
  30. ↑ Flade, Martin et al. 2011. “Position paper on the current stock situation of birds in the agricultural landscape” published by the German Ornithological Society and the umbrella association of German Avifaunists. Retrieved ( http://www.do-g.de/fileadmin/do-g_dokumente/Positionspapier_Agrarv%C3%B6gel_DO-G_DDA_2011-10-03.pdf )
  31. ↑ Annual route partridges (2015/2016)
  32. ↑ schonzeiten.de: Closed and hunting times in the federal states , accessed on May 25, 2012
  33. ↑ Ökologischer Jagdverein Niedersachsen und Bremen eV , accessed on May 25, 2012
  34. ↑ Annual hunting range 2015/16 , accessed on July 27, 2017
  35. ↑ Biotope Fund of the Hunters' Association Emsland / Grafschaft Bentheim eV - Retreat and fringing areas (RüSa)
  36. ↑ Network habitat field corridor
  37. ↑ a b Heinz-Sigurd Raethel: Quails, Partridges, Steinhühner, Frankoline and relatives. Reutlingen publishing house, Reutlingen, 2006, ISBN 3-88627-534-5
  38. ↑ ITIS Report: Perdix perdix (Linnaeus, 1758)
  39. ↑ Avibase Database: Partridge (Perdix perdix) (Linnaeus, 1758)
  40. ^ Friedrich Kluge: Etymological dictionary of the German language. 24th edition, edited by Elmar Seebold, De Gruyter Verlag, Berlin / New York, 2002
  41. ^ JP Mallory, Douglas Q. Adams: Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Fitzroy Dearborn Verlag, London / Chicago, 1997
  42. ↑ Julius Pokorny: Indo-European Etymological Dictionary. Francke Verlag, Bern / Munich, 1959
  43. ^ Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Houghton Mifflin, Boston / New York, 2000
  44. ↑ Navicula Bacchi. Book Eight: Chapter 4: Perdix (236-259)
  45. ^ Christian Wehr: Lexicon of Superstition. With the collaboration of Helmut Maurò, Rainer Schütz and Jon-Michael Winkler. Original edition. Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, 1992, page 130, ISBN 3-453-05228-5
  46. ↑ hekaya.de: The partridge and the chickens
  47. ↑ hekaya.de: Man and the partridge
  48. ↑ hekaya.de: History of the partridge with the turtles
  49. ↑ Ludwig Bechstein (ed.): German fairy tale book. Leipzig 1845, Weblink: Sagen.at: The Partridge
  50. ↑ Fairy tale explained: Puss in Boots
  51. ↑ lexikus.de: Luther's adversary
  52. ↑ Chronicle of the Trogen community ( memento of the original from September 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.trogen.de
  53. ↑ http://www.landsknechte-bretten.de: From the High Middle Ages to the Late Middle Ages  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.landsknechte-bretten.de  
  54. ↑ Hans Behnke, Günter Claussen: Pheasant and Partridge. Biology, care, rearing. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, 2007, ISBN 3-440-10917-8