Photo: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Game Birds

Red-legged Partridge

Alectoris rufa

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) — Gamebirds of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Alberta Birds of Quebec Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire Birds of South Yorkshire Birds of Berkshire Birds of Bristol Birds of Cambridgeshire Birds of Cheshire

By family

Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Alberta Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Quebec Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of England

See what's near you right now

The Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a member of the Phasianidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 528 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae Pheasants & Allies
Genus Alectoris
Species rufa

Where it lives

Southwestern Europe

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 528 g
Diet: Plant-eaters
Family: Phasianidae
Order: Galliformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-legged Partridge feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Behaviour

A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Red-legged Partridge is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family, part of the order Galliformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sw Europe.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 528 g, with a wing length of about 15.5 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 954,000 km².

Songs & calls

Red-legged Partridge — Song

Recorded by Mats Olsson Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-legged Partridge?

The Red-legged Partridge is a large bird that weighs around 528 g.

Where does the Red-legged Partridge live?

The Red-legged Partridge is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sw Europe, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Red-legged Partridge belong to?

The Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) belongs to the Phasianidae family, in the order Galliformes.

What does the Red-legged Partridge eat?

The Red-legged Partridge feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Does the Red-legged Partridge migrate?

The Red-legged Partridge is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Red-legged Partridge endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Red-legged Partridge make?

1 real field recording of the Red-legged Partridge — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-legged Partridge's range?

The Red-legged Partridge has a mapped global range of about 954,000 km².