Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara

The Barbary Partridge is native to North Africa, including the Canary Islands off Morocco - those shown above and in the next line below living in Tenerife's pine forests (subspecies A. b. koenigi).

They prefer to run from danger but can fly when necessary. They are related to the similar Red-legged and Rock Partridges of Europe and the Chukar of Asia.

Those in the row above and immediately below are the North African subspecies. They look similar, the differences such as a visibly darker white-spotted brown collar and stronger blue-grey highlights being more to do with individuals, light and status of breeding plumage than of subspecies. However the red eye ring on those in Tenerife's forests, also prevalent in the other Canary Islands, Gibraltar and Morocco, rather than the white eye ring on those above (and the bluer brow/face), may be a subspecies trait (or may indicate hybridism)?

They live in dry, rocky areas, woodland and sandy areas. Some local populations have declined through hunting and habitat destruction and they are now thought to be extinct in northwestern Egypt.