Things You Need to Know About Red-Legged PARTRIDGE!

Around the world there are many species of bird that are reared in captivity and then released to be hunted for sport and for food. In Europe, one of the most popular birds for this is the red legged partridge. These are small birds, with wingspans of 47 to 50cm and growing to weights of 400 to 550grams they are slightly smaller than an average woodpigeon. Red legged partridge are a rather complicated bird to describe as they have so many colours and patterns but ill start with their legs, which I would argue are more pink than red. They have chestnut undersides, brown backs, barred brown and cream sides and grey chests. Their throats are mottled black and grey with a cream coloured bib, they have a cream eye stripe, brown on top of their heads and both their beaks and a ring around each eye is red. Although they can fly when they think they are in imminent danger, most of the time they prefer to walk or run. Adult red legged partridges are mainly seed eaters, although they will sometimes eat new shoots, leaves and occasionally insects. Young birds are more omnivorous eating a larger proportion of invertebrates to get the protein that they need to grow. In the UK they are mostly found around farmland, which is where they are released, but they can also venture into grasslands and urban areas, sometimes being seen in parks and gardens. There are several reports of them living deliberately with wild rabbits, but I cant find any hard evidence to support that so perhaps take it with a pinch of salt. Although the vast majority of red legged partridges in this country are captive reared, somewhere around 6 million birds every year, there is a wild breeding population of between 90 and 250 thousand pairs. Pairs form in early spring and then the male creates a series of scrape type nests on the ground. Quite uniquely the female will often lay a clutch of eggs in one nest and then move and lay a second clutch in a different nest. If this happens, the male will incubate the first clutch and rear those chicks himself whilst the female incubates the second clutch and will rear those chicks on her own. If the female only uses one nest, she will do most of the incubation with occasional help from the male. Each pair will produce between 10 and 16 speckled cream eggs that measure about 4 cm in length and take 23 to 24 days to hatch. Once the chicks do hatch, they are precocial, and are up and about within hours of hatching and can feed themselves straight away. The young birds are covered in mottled brown fluff but develop quickly. They are able to fly within 14 days but stay together as a family group into the winter. Red legged partridges will only nest one time per year and although they are not monogamous as rule, they do sometimes mate with the same bird in multiple years. All of the red legged partridges in the UK, are at some point descended from introduced birds. They were first brought to the country in the 17th century from France, but they are also native to Spain, Portugal, Germany, Andorra and northern Italy. In some of these native ranges the birds numbers have been slowly declining since the 1990s and wild breeding bird numbers have also slowly decreased here, although their range does seem to be spreading northwards. They have a low average lifespan in areas where they are hunted but can live for 3 to 5 years outside of these places. The oldest ringed wild bird survived for 7 years, 7 months and 2 days. #partridge #nature #britishwildlife
Thanks to Frederick for letting me use his nesting footage, the original footage can be found here: • Red-Legged Partridge b...
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[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you for watching this video and taking a look at the comments! If you would like to support me to make even more videos, please consider my Patreon which can be found here> www.patreon.com/ashotofwildlife Cheers.

[@ClaudiaNerey-nb5bx]

Adorable!They found their way home by following rabbits

[@missapippin9020]

Great video Liam. They are beautiful birds. I don't think any animal should be hunted and classed as sport. I am learning so much about the British wildlife, thank you.

[@Nick-hm6tl]

Without hunters controlling populations animals will eventually die from overpopulation and no food or limited space. Not all hunters hunt for sport. I would rather enjoy these beautiful birds while hunting them, harvesting 6 birds for dinner is more healthy and ethical than going to the grocery store and buying a roasted chicken that you have no idea where its from and is packed with preservatives. Im sure that chicken had a more gruesome death than my shotgun. Its ok to be ignorant these days though. Cheers

[@michaelstevenson186]

I live in the USA and I had one of these birds on my front porch chilling with my cat. I was able to feed it and pet it. I live in the middle of the city so I believe it was somebody's pet.

[@rudidedog243]

If I could fly I would not walk anywhere, and kudos for not mention the most famous partridge of all ...Allen.

[@garylivesey7571]

Thanks Liam great video🦅🦆🦤👌

[@Compo67]

Delightful video Liam. We have wild ones that visit our horse yard and paddocks. Love their calls in the summer months. Very striking rachety sound as you’ve shown on the video. We also get lots at our local nature reserve and those I think must be farm bred as there is shooting aloud just outside the reserve in neighbouring farmland. These birds can be funny to follow down a farm track in the car as they just don’t want to leave the track and can sometimes waddle fast for a good 100 metres before breaking off to disappear through a hedge!😁 definitely an interesting bird and thanks for the video on them.

[@the_dungeoneer]

We have a couple on the farm that have no doubt escaped the shooting ranges a couple miles away, they are safe here and bring joy to us when they pop by.

[@ianstoyan]

Very pretty birds. But do you know what the connection between partridges and pear trees is? I have a pear tree, and have never see a partridge in a pear tree.

[@TheUneducatedTeacher]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@KingaKucyk]

😂 there is none 😂

[@zoombec5224]

Hahaha, a partridge and a pear tree

[@ianstoyan]

@@zoombec5224 oh, that's the lyric? I've been singing it wrong forever.

[@zoombec5224]

@@ianstoyanahh, atleast you know now, but funny comment

[@judyhowell7912]

I Love your informative and entertaining videos. Well done, keep 'em coming! Judy in Washington State, USA.

[@paulwarner5674]

Such a beautiful bird. Great video. Our local wild life trust park started grazing cattle on "Gloucestershire "cotswold" grass. So we no longer have the ground nesting birds in any great numbers there. They used to be safe there from the rifles .But now cattle ,dogs,people have priority. Thanks Liam great video.❤

[@celestenova777]

Thanks Liam, beautiful birds and their chicks, a joy to watch and learn.

[@ddoherty5956]

Once found a partridge nest under a gas gun put out to keep the pigeons of a crop, which thinking about it now probably kept it dry and foxes/ cats away. Great video. 👍

[@Freddy2Noel]

Dear Liam, Thank you for contacting me and including a few clips of my film of the female Red-Legged Partridge nesting in our garden in 2014. Your crediting my work was very kind and generous. I was thrilled by your presentation and subscribed to your channel. I look forward to watching your past and future videos with much interest. Kind regards. Frederic Landes - @Freddy2Noel

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you for letting me use it and sorry for my delay in responding. I must have missed the comment the first time round. Cheers, Liam

[@lilyroseshandmade6525]

Great to know more about them.

[@tommyball1863]

Love your videos… rather apt with Partridge and the Norfolk connection! 😁

[@marinaknife4595]

I love my shot of wildlife - gorgeous video. Thanks Liam.

[@kaymorrice8141]

Fascinating

[@alistairmaclennan3791]

I really enjoy your videos, you have a very relaxing way of presenting, thank you .

[@paulsanderson8804]

Very informative great vlog ..

[@roddymcniven8734]

Thanks Liam

[@williamrobinson7435]

Well interesting and beautifully done. Thanks Liam! ⭐👍

[@BlueJayKRO]

Would be great to see one of these videos of the more elusive rarer grey partridge. Keep up the good work mate.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers! I am working on a grey partridge version which will hopefully be out within a month.

[@BlueJayKRO]

@@AShotOfWildlife that’s great mate. Not a lot of people would likely even know about the grey. Modern farming techniques have really contributed to the decline in these birds, although there are now quite a few land owners that are trying to help the grey partridge make a return. Look forward to your vid mate. All the best.

[@AuntieBuddie]

We have a couple roaming our hamlet - Zorro & Elena. 😎

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I won't lie, I don't know if you have signed off your message with your names, or if those are the names of the partridge... Great you get to see them though :)

[@Jaded-Wanderer]

Another great video

[@davidhorobin1060]

Lovely video Just spotted the first one ever in our garden.

[@patricianunes3521]

Another great video! Thank you for sharing your love of nature with us Liam. I enjoy your videos

[@peterosborne9802]

Another beautiful video, you're getting good at this... 😅 love the logo on your top, very good.

[@apeshenry7264]

I didn’t know much about the red legged partridge,but I know more now ,thanks to you.

[@Calvin.The.Unfindable]

some awesome information here Liam, great video. Also i really like your new profile pic and new branding. keep up the great work. have a brilliant week. :)

[@KingaKucyk]

I adore these cute little birds, just as I adore Your videos ❤ Do You think You can cover razorbill auk and falcated duck in the future? 🎉

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you. I will definitely cover Razorbills at some point but not so sure on Falcated ducks :)

[@KingaKucyk]

@@AShotOfWildlife it's ok :-) thank You :-)

[@vetworker]

I’m often ‘stuck’ behind these birds when I’m driving home on the farm. I only knew them as French partridge until this video. Really interesting content 👍👍👍

[@philiptaylor7902]

Hi Liam, rlp’s are cute little birds, we get them in the garden now and then, refugees from Dashwood’s estate.

[@digger360]

great video and very informative .....👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@donnaml8776]

Very pretty 😃

[@poggestfrog]

Putting a comment here to help you with the algorithm :)

[@SkylarkFields]

Really interesting about their nesting and chick rearing habits, and of course, lovely footage. Thank you for a great video!

[@lindaemmett4534]

I have 3 of these that run around where I live-it’s built up but quite near farmland so that would explain their presence! Over the years I have seen them with chicks but don’t know if the chicks survived because of the patrolling red kite!

[@chakorkhan-ko6xl]

Great❤❤❤

[@mbarker1958]

Another good video Liam. Please keep them coming!

[@bernardshieldstysonfive1009]

Hi Liam brilliant video again love these birds I have farm land at the bottom of my garden so get to see them regularly and some times in my garden keep up the great work and videos Bernard

[@lonewolfartisan661]

Thank you for this cute and informative video! I have some as pets, and they are wonderful! Very smart and extremely trainable. You have them down rather well! Kudos! Oh, (laughing) the clip of the bird carrying on in the end of this video set my pals off., now they are looking for him. Funny!!!😂😉

[@davidbirdsey6489]

Once again a well presented and informative video which I really enjoyed. I hope you can continue to make further videos.

[@brodieadu-yeboah4811]

If you don’t mind could you do common sandpiper next please

[@AShotOfWildlife]

I can add them to my list, but I dont think there would be much footage available of them so I will need to do a lot of filming before I have enough to publish it.

[@jillatherton4660]

👍

[@kingloser4198]

ahaaa!

[@paulohara1502]

👏👍👌🥰

[@gerrimilner9448]

i think thier lovelly little things

[@Lane_KellerRW24]

I wonder if Liam has filmed a partridge in a pear tree yet.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Not yet, but what a great challenge that would be!

[@Anna-Spanna]

I have a red-legged partridge that has been in and out of my garden, tapping on my back door and chilling out with the pigeons and magpies for just under a month now. Not sure if it is male or female but I have nick named it Susan. I would love it to stick around, but worry ‘shes’ on ‘her’ own. We do have a lot of farm land around us, so I’m guessing that where ‘she’s’ come from. I guess she likes it in my neighborhood and my back garden and I would just love it to be around in the spring and have those little fluffy chicks 🥺. Do you think she will stick around?

[@exocet1]

I am in the USA in PA and not sure but two just showed up at my house...not sure what to do? I posted photos on Facebooks and numerous people from Europe told me yes they are Red Legged

[@AShotOfWildlife]

They've probably been released from a local shoot? Unless someone near you keeps exotic birds? There is a very similar species called a Chuckar partridge which they could be.

[@exocet1]

@@AShotOfWildlife after watching your video and looking more at my photos pretty sure they are red legged as they have pinkish legs and reddish beak. They do not fly when i approach them. Wish someway to post photos here i great photos of the pair. There are no local shoots her or any nearby but maybe somewhere far away as really only reason to be in my state. Not sure what to do to help called my local game commission but no help yet. We feed birds so lots of food out there near them which they eat. Gonna try figure out something before winter hits here have a bit of woods but not much cover. Again not sure how they got here must have walked aways. Thanks

[@samsavojbolagi5513]

how could you shoot these beautiful birds

[@pappeszter11]

Hi, may I use a few minutes of your video of birds for a KZbin video version of 12 days of Christmas please?

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Hi Eszter. Feel free to use any bits I filmed, there's a list of links to clips I've uses in this video but didn't film myself in the videos description.

[@tracybowling1156]

I enjoyed learning about the pheasant. They certainly don't live very long. I think ppl in the US hunt them. But they're probably stuffy and rich. Though Im just guessing. I wanted to know if you know anyone personally who hunts them? If so, are they stuffy and rich?

[@JohnyG29]

He is talking about partridges, not pheasants 😂

[@barkershill]

Yes ,mostly . I live in southern England and at one time used to work as a beater on some big shoots where both pheasant and partridge were shot . I eventually got very disgusted with it all and would not go near it now . As stated the birds are reared in captivity ,then released in late summer and shot all winter . Shooting like this is very expensive and “the guns” were all city business men from Britain Europe and America . For some reason the women they used to bring with them all seemed particularly dim even if expensively dressed . It was all about numbers . A party of guns usually 8 or 10 bought a days shooting with a pre arranged guaranteed bag of X Number of birds , where I worked this was usually 300 but on other shoots it’s more , at the end of the day a game dealer would arrive and buy any dead birds that weren’t too badly shot up , but the rest got dumped . Sometimes supply simply exceeded demand and the whole lot just got buried out in the woods . 3:58

[@micgreenson7308]

Love this channel, ALLAHU AKBAR ☝️❤️ AMEEN

[@thefuzzlieschannelofficial]

I have a request for you

[@thefuzzlieschannelofficial]

Do the Indian peafowl

[@spritbong5285]

Beautiful birds, beautiful when alive. Shame on humans.

[@simonrowe5380]

Ah.. tu parles Francais, Monsieur ? Plusieur oiseaux de Paradis, aussi ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/i53EqmV8q7p4mpo

[@treaclelester7285]

How anyone could shoot these or any other bird is beyond me. They don’t shoot for food hardly at all, it’s mainly for the pleasure of killing.