Chukar - Partridge Hunting - Upland Hunting
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Description
The Chukar is a plump quail-like bird. The males and females look similar, both with soft brown and gray features, a copper colored belly, and prominent black stripes on their wings. They have a small round head with a red bill and black line tracing around their face. Their throats are light in color with a black border. They are roughly thirteen inches long.
The Chukar is native to Southern Asia and the Middle East. They are the national bird of Pakistan. Chukars were introduced to North America as a game bird in the 1890s. Their North American population numbers grew drastically between the 1930s and 1970s.
These pheasants enjoy arid regions with steep, rocky slopes, grasslands, and steep desert canyons. They are often found in dry parts of the west, like eastern Oregon and Washington and the Great Basin region where they enjoy the brushes and grasses of the shrublands.
Chukars travel in coveys but can be difficult to spot in the brush. They are most easily spotted during the spring months when the males begin mating rituals. The Chukar male has a distinct mating call that sounds like it is saying its own name. The first syllable is softer than the second, so it sounds like chuKAR, repeated several times. While singing, the males perch up on rocks and their call echoes around the rocky terrains they prefer.
Part of the appeal to the Chukar for bird hunting has been that these game birds have a long season and are a challenging bird to spot. When they are startled, they prefer to take off running rather than fly into the air, adding to the challenge, though when frightened they will take to the air with a high pitched squeal. They also populate large tracts of land and tend to have liberal bag limits.
