OUTDOOR BRIEF

ELUSIVE BIRD

Chukar state's most popular game bird

In a couple of months, we'll be thinking about a partridge in a pear tree, but right now sportsmen are thinking about a partridge called chukar. Most Nevadans have heard of the chukar -- after all, it's the state's most popular game bird. But folks who aren't hunters don't really know much about it. The chukar is a partridge, an upland game bird in the pheasant family.

The chukar partridge is not native to Nevada, or even the United States. This elusive bird was brought into the country in 1893 from the rugged backcountry of what is now Pakistan, where it is recognized as the national bird and many people keep it for a pet. The chukar's native range extends from India west to southern Europe.

From 1931 to 1970, about 795,000 chukars were released in 41 states, including Nevada. The first introductions in the Silver State took place in 1935, when the state Fish and Game Commission, predecessor of the Department of Wildlife, contracted with Minnie Blair and Hamlin Kent of Fallon to introduce their farm-reared chukar into Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Nye, Ormsby and Washoe counties. These birds that hailed from the rugged, mountainous terrain characteristic of the Middle East adapted well to the harsh, arid climate of Nevada, with its steep, jagged slopes and sparse cover. By 1970, the chukar had spread to all of Nevada's counties. The first hunting season was not until 1947, but hunters quickly learned the chukar was not easy game.

"It didn't take long for the chukar to become our most popular game bird. They offer hunters a very challenging hunting opportunity, partly because of the rugged country they live in and partly because of their uncanny ability to elude hunters in the first place," said Doug Nielsen, conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

When pursued, the chukar can run quickly uphill and hop from rock to rock, making for a difficult chase. They are also surprising aerial artists. When flushed from their hiding spot, chukars virtually explode into the air, going high then swiftly soaring downhill. They then swing uphill again before they land, so it is hard to find them again. And it may be some time before they are seen again, because they like to hold tight.

According to NDOW hunter education coordinator Martin Olson, "Chukars are tough to see and tough to hunt. You can get right on top of them before they flush. Then they fly down and hide, so you don't see them again."

Chukars are plentiful in Nevada and are the most harvested game bird. But hunting does not cause the greatest mortality for the species. Sportsmen only harvest 15 percent of the population annually. The primary influence on population numbers is the weather.

The chukar can be recognized by its distinctive look. It is larger than quail, about 14 inches long, weighing a little over a pound. Its back is light brown, the breast grey, and the belly buff-colored. The wings on a chukar have black bars, and the head is lined with a "gorget," which is a sort of mask, or black line, across the eyes and around the neck. Red beak and legs accent the unique plumage.

Starting in April, chukars make their nests in a scrape in the ground, lining them with grasses and feathers and hiding them well.

Preferred foods of the chukar include seeds of grasses and forbs, as well as the vegetative parts of the plant. They have been known to consume the seeds of Indian ricegrass and pinyon pine, but their all-time favorite is downy brome, or cheatgrass, an invasive weed. Chicks tend to feed on insects, which boost their protein levels.

It is common to find chukar at altitudes of 4,000 to 9,000 feet. They spend most of their day gathered in coveys -- eating, drinking, dusting and roosting. Trees and shrubs such as junipers and sagebrush provide cover, as do rocky outcrops. Farther south in the state, chukars find shelter under saltbush and related species. This allows them to hide from avian predators such as owls, hawks and eagles.