The national bird of Pakistan is the chukar. Its name echoes throughout the arid, barren countryside. This red-billed game bird has black bars on its sides and a band across its forehead and neck.

Chukar Partridge is native to the country’s rocky hills and hilly regions, and has long been a part of the local environment and culture. It is not only revered for its strength and beauty, but it is also profoundly ingrained in regional art, poetry, and narrative, frequently representing love, desire, and loyalty. In this blog, ourguider.com will guide you about the importance, their lifestyle, and the climate effect on the national bird of Pakistan.

Key Highlights:

• Declared in 1985 because of its historical, ecological, and cultural significance.
• It lives in several provinces, including Gujarat, Pakistan, Punjab, and Baluchistan.
• Found at elevations of up to 4,000 meters, demonstrating high adaptability.
• A symbol in art, poetry, and literature that represents love and endurance.
• Represents Pakistan’s conservation principles and extensive natural heritage.

Look

The nominate form has a wine-red crown that fades to ash gray along the sides and rear of the head. The forehead is dark. The eyes are similarly surrounded by a black ring, and the ear covert patch is reddish-brown. A grayish-white supercilium band is found over the eye and ear area. The upper back and shoulders have wine-red plumage, whereas the rump, upper tail coverts, and lower back are ash gray. The beak, cere of the eyes, and legs are all coral red.

Adult chukars resemble Alpine partridges. The Alpine partridge, on the other hand, has white neck and crop patches, as opposed to cream-colored chukars. A narrow blackish line extends from the eyes to the ear coverts. The crown is light brown with darker speckles. The top body is blackish brown, with three cream-colored longitudinal stripes.

Habits and Lifestyle

Chukars are primarily stationary birds. During the winter, inhabitants in the high mountains relocate to lower elevations. Migratory movements in Pakistan have also been reported, which differ from the lives of people in other areas. Chukars migrate from central Pakistan’s high mountains to lower-precipitation low mountain regions in the south, arriving around December. They return to the breeding areas in May. They often dwell in flocks and are only seen in pairs during the mating season.

Males compete fiercely over breeding territories, which has evolved to the habit of cockfighting with this species, especially in Pakistan. The nest is a small pit bordered with diverse flora from the local surroundings. The clutch contains 8 to 15 eggs that are yellowish to grayish-brown in hue with reddish-brown speckles. The female incubates alone. She starts incubating as soon as the clutch is complete. The chicks hatch after 22 to 24 days.

Nesting

During courting, the male exhibits his prey by dipping his head and circling her. Both couples imitate feeding actions, and the male may feed the female. The nest is frequently located on the ground, concealed behind plants or overhanging rocks. The nest is a hollow with a dense layer of grass, twigs, and feathers.

Eating habits and nutrition

Chukars are mostly herbivores (seed eaters), consuming a variety of seeds. They also consume leaves, buds, flowers, berries, and some insects.

Population Threat

Chukars are not officially listed as endangered, although wild populations are threatened by harsh winters, pesticides, and hunting, as well as habitat loss in some places.

Voice and Instrumental Sound

The bird’s name is derived from its unusual cry, which is evocative of a chukar. It’s part of a call sequence that sounds like chuk… chuk… chuk…. perchuk… chukar-chukar-chukar. This sound is utilized by group members to congregate; it also serves as a warning call for males marking territory. The song is more intense and harsh than that of the Alpine Partridge. The individual pieces are longer and more tightly spaced. Chukar birds, like the Alpine Partridge, take flight with a loud, buzzing sound (known as the instrumental cry). This loud noise is presumably intended to warn away ground predators.

Climate threats to the chukar partridge

Climate change poses a hazard to the chukar, a Central European bird species. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent droughts are causing habitat loss and environmental changes that may have a severe influence on chukars.

Concrete effects:

• Chukar chickens lose habitat and food as wetlands dry out throughout the summer.
• Early spring causes birds like the pied flycatcher and swallow to mate sooner, perhaps resulting in insufficient food for young birds.
• Chukars face nutritional challenges because of rising temperatures and frequent droughts, limiting food supply.
• Long-distance migrants, such as the pied flycatcher, have difficulties adjusting to different mating seasons.
• Droughts, heat waves, and floods are becoming more common, putting the chukar at risk.