A Covey of Partridges on my Street

Every winter, we see — and startle — Gray (Hungarian) Partridges in our neighbourhood. Yesterday, a covey of partridges was back, perhaps encouraged by the recent snow to fly in from the fields to forage here, at the edge of the city.

Winter visitors to the city:  
Gray Partridges on our neighbour's lawn  © SB

These chicken-like birds are very sensitive to human movement — no surprise, as some people consider the Gray Partridge a game bird, and shoot them.

The dozen or so partridges that appeared on a lawn across the street ignored a bus and several cars that rumbled past, and calmy marched through the snow and up to the exposed grass beside a basement window. Nothing disturbed them — until I decided to tiptoe down our front steps to get a better angle for a picture. That movement — or the long lens of my camera, aimed for that shot — drove them squawking into the air.

What are these?  Gray Partridges, also called Hungarian Partridges. 
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan.
Photo Date: November 12, 2011.

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