Sardinian Partridge

This bird is recognisable by its feet, red beak, as well as its grey neck that has a brown collar with a white spot and a stripe over its eye. It is about 32-34 cm long and can reach a weight of 450-500 g, and is characterised by its short rounded tail and wings. The male has a spur on the tarsus, often present in a sketched form also found in females. It lives in a flock and is monogamous by nature, frequenting hilly and flat lands. The Partridge lives on plains and hilly areas but prefers a diversified environment with Mediterranean shrub, grassland and semi-arid areas. It feeds mainly on wild vegetables, but in the early stages of life it is carnivorous, preferring to eat small invertebrates, such as worms, snails, and insects. It moves around on the ground and will only take flight if forced to. It is a species whose status at the regional level is not sufficiently known, and is threatened by alteration and destruction of its habitat. Degree of Protection: Berne Convention (law 503/1981, Annex III); Dir. CEE 79/409 All. I.