Whilst looking for
Philby’s Partridge at Al Mehfar Park, Tanoumah, Phil spotted an unusual
Partridge with a pale throat. It was a long way away on a hill top and looked
superficially like a Chukar a bird that occrs much further north in the Kingdom
near Tabuk but a species neither Phil nor I had seen. Philby’s Partridge has a
black chin, cheeks and throat that differentiate it from all other members of
genus, including Arabian Partridge which is mainly found at lower elevations.
Philby’s Partridge also has a bright red bill and facial skin and rose-red legs
and is otherwise very similar to Chukar including the presence of rufous in
tail. Juvenile birds are overall dull brown, initially lacking face pattern
that then appears as dusky, not black, with finely barred upperparts and duller
legs. As a result the bird turned out to be an Arabian Partridge rather than a Chukar. Arabian Partridge occurs in arid rocky areas
in montane regions and occurs on slopes with less bush cover than
Philby's Partridge.
