Philby’s Partridge Alectoris philbyi is
a rare resident of the south-west highlands. The best sites for locating the
species are the terrace fields near Tanoumah, the dry scrub covered hillsides
on Jebal Souda plateau and the area around Al Baha. They prefer juniper
dominated habitats where rocky knolls & clearings occur and ocurs from 1500
– 3000 metre elevations. Numbers have declined significantly in the Jebal
Soudah area, probably due to increased human activity in the area. The Philby’s
Partridge is related to the Chukar & Red-legged Partridge and is native to
south-western Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It can be easily identified from other
partridges by the black cheeks and throat and a narrow white stripe from the
bill to behind the eye separating the black from the greyish-blue head. Both
sexes look alike, although males may be slightly larger in size and have a
tarsal knob.
