About Perdix dauurica (Pallas, 1811)
Perdix dauurica is a rotund bird with a total length of roughly 28–30 cm (11–12 in). In autumn, males weigh 200–340 grams (7.1–12.0 oz), while females weigh 290–330 grams (10–12 oz). Both sexes have a sandy-orange face and long feathers under the beak that form a distinct 'beard'. The remainder of the head and underparts are pale slate-grey, with a buff line on the chest and a black patch on the belly. Females have a smaller belly patch and slightly duller plumage than males. Its song is a shrill, grating kieerr-ik!, a higher-pitched, faster version of the grey partridge's call. Multiple subspecies are recognized, and they differ mainly in plumage: individuals become darker and more rufous the further east they are found. This partridge breeds primarily on open grassland or steppe, including farmland, across much of temperate East Asia, ranging from Kyrgyzstan eastward to China and Mongolia. It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, and forms flocks outside the breeding season during autumn and winter. In some parts of its range, it overlaps with the closely related, very similar grey partridge, and the two form a superspecies. It inhabits open country, ideally with adjacent bushes or open woodland.
