8.2.3. Genus Kekliki Alectoris There is one mountain species in Russia. Keklik Alectoris chukar … Birds of Russia. Directory

Pheasant family- The partridge (Alectoris chukar) should be considered one of the important species of this family. The upper part of the body and chest are bluish gray with a red coating. The white throat is surrounded by a black border; a strip running from the base of the beak through the forehead, and ... ... Animal life

Asian cupcake- Asian keklik ... Wikipedia

Keklik- ? Keklik Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals ... Wikipedia

Barbary rock partridge- Barbary rock partridge ... Wikipedia

red partridge- Scientific classification ... Wikipedia

Arabian keklik- Scientific classification ... Wikipedia

European cupcake- European cupcake ... Wikipedia

Mediterranean subregion- subregion of the Holarctic zoogeographic land area. It is located mainly in the Mediterranean, on the territory of Africa, Asia and Europe (see map) borders, relating Kazakhstan and Central Asia to the Central Asian subregion (See ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Family Pheasant, or Peacock (Phasianidae, or Pavonidae)- This family includes birds of small and medium size. Unlike grouse, their metatarsus is not feathered or feathered only in the upper part. There is no horn fringe along the edges of the fingers. The nostrils are not feathered and are covered with skin from above. ... ... Biological Encyclopedia

Books

• Pheasants, peacocks and kekliks, Rakhmanov A.I. The family of pheasant, or peacock, birds is the largest of all families of the order of galliformes, or chickens. It contains a large number of species that differ quite sharply in appearance and ... Buy for 62 UAH (Ukraine only)
• Pheasants peacocks and kekliks Keeping and breeding, Rakhmanov A. It contains a large number of species, quite sharply differing in appearance ...

Systematic position
Class: Birds - Aves.
Squad: Galliformes - Galliformes.
Family: Pheasants - Phasianidae.
View: Keklik - Alectoris chukar (Gray, 1830)

Status.

5 "Insufficiently studied" - 5, NO.

Global population endangered category on the IUCN Red List

Least Concern - Least Concern, LC ver. 3.1 (2001).

Category according to IUCN Red List criteria

Belonging to the objects of action of international agreements and conventions ratified by the Russian Federation

Do not belong.

Brief morphological description

Keklik is a small bird weighing up to 600 g. The general color tone is ash-gray. A narrow band of black feathers extends from the forehead around the throat. Throat white or yellowish. On the sides of the body are black transverse stripes. The beak, paws and ring around the eyes are red.

Spreading

Global range: Central Asia, Caucasus, South Kazakhstan, southeast of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, Western and Central Asia. In the Russian Federation, the keklik inhabits the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, the western and southern Altai. In KK, the keklik is a nesting sedentary species. The regional area includes separate tracts of the GKH, Peredovogo and Skalisty ridges from the upper reaches of the river. Kishi to the border with the KChR.

Features of biology and ecology

Typical habitats are screes interspersed with subalpine and alpine vegetation. Bird nests are built on the ground. There are 8–13 eggs in a clutch, incubation lasts 24–25 days. The basis of nutrition of the keklik is vegetable feed - the fruits of high-mountain shrubs: blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberries (Vaccinium visitidea), vegetative parts of herbaceous plants.

Numbers and trends

In the southern region of Russia, the total number of the species is estimated at 5–15 thousand individuals. In some districts of the Western Caucasus, in particular, not far from the borders of the Teberdinsky Reserve, the population density of the keklik reaches 5 individuals per 1 km2.

In KK, a rare, little-studied species. Only a few habitats of this species are known, where birds were recorded relatively regularly on the Peredovy Ridge. (mountains Akhtsarkhva, Magisho). The total abundance of the species, according to expert assessment, does not exceed 20–30 individuals.

Limiting factors

Predation of some species of mammals and birds. Limited area of ​​suitable habitats.

Necessary and additional security measures

The species is protected on the territory of the KGPBZ. It is necessary to clarify the range of the keklik in KK, the creation of protected areas in the places of its settlements.

Sources of information. 1. Averin, Nasimovich, 1938; 2. Belik, 2005; 3. Ivanov, 1976; 4. Molamusov, 1959; 5. Stepanyan, 2003; 6. Tilba, 1999b; 7. Tkachenko, 1966; 8. IUCN, 2004. Compiled. P. A. Tilba.

Appearance . The size of an average crow. The plumage is ash-gray-pink, on the sides there are transverse stripes of three colors: white, brown and black. Feature - a light spot on the throat, around which a black stripe passes through the eyes to the forehead. The paws are pink, around the eyes there is a red ring, the beak is the same color.

Lifestyle . The keklik lives in foothill deserts and on stony mountain slopes devoid of vegetation. A common, even numerous, sedentary bird.

Monogamous, but not always kept in pairs, sometimes gathering in small flocks. For nesting, it chooses areas that are practically devoid of vegetation. It can be rocky slopes, scree, gorges. The nest is located in some crevice, niche, or directly on the ground, under the cover of stones or bushes.

In mid-April, from 7 to 11 eggs appear in it, of a special creamy-ocher color with fuzzy small streaks. It flies fast, knows how to maneuver well, but never sits on trees. He spends most of his time on the ground, where he collects food - insects and young shoots of plants. Sensing danger, it does not take off, but quickly runs up the mountain slope. Extremely careful. Very noisy, often shouting - loudly, accelerating the pace of "cook ... coque ... coque-cook-cook." It is an object of hunting.

A similar species is the desert partridge, but it is smaller and does not have a spot on the throat.

Desert partridge (Ammoperdix griseagularis)

Appearance . Even smaller than a dove. The plumage is gray with a pink tint, on the abdomen - with yellow, on the sides there are oblique stripes of black and brown. Feature - a light strip with black edges on the eyes. The beak is orange. The plumage color of females is duller, and there is no stripe on the eyes.

Lifestyle . The desert partridge inhabits a mountainous desert area. Already a small, sedentary bird. Can be seen in pairs or small flocks. Nesting areas are loess, interrupted by rare rocks, rocky mountain slopes, almost devoid of vegetation. In the nest, located right on the ground under the stones, in mid-May, from 8 to 12 eggs, buffy in color, appear. They fly very rarely and not far, moving mainly on the ground, running away from danger up the mountain slope, hiding between stones. The voice of the desert partridge resembles the whistle “tee-pee ... tee-pee”, and sometimes a loud sound - “wow-wow-wow”. But in general - the bird is very silent. It feeds on seeds and buds of plants and insects. Hunting for it is not popular.

General characteristics and field signs

In appearance, it resembles a gray partridge, but larger. The bluish-gray color of the top, buffy underparts and transverse stripes on the sides make the bird almost invisible on the slopes of the mountains. It spends most of its life in flocks and is kept in pairs only during the breeding season. Limited visibility in rough terrain makes communication between individual flocks and individuals difficult, and therefore the basis of communication is sound signals, among which the most characteristic is "ke-ke-lek" (hence the onomatopoeic name of the species - "kakelik"). In spring, they talk in pairs with a quiet, pleasant chirping, which can be heard from a distance of no more than 20 m. Where there are a lot of kekliks, their voices can be heard throughout the day. Only during the period of incubation and at the first time of the upbringing of the young do they become silent.

When danger appears, they quickly run up the slope or fly away, in some cases they hide. Running birds easily overcome screes and areas of sheer cliffs. They run less frequently down the slope. The flight is used if it becomes necessary to quickly reach the bottom of the gorge or get away from sudden danger. Taking off from the slope, the bird switches to a rapid glide. Takeoff begins with frequent flapping, which alternate with the flight on motionless wings. The maximum distance that kekliks flying from the top of a mountain can fly is about 2 km (Popov, 1960).

They move with difficulty on loose and deep snow and in snowy winters become easy prey for various predators. In places where they are pursued, partridges show particular caution, but if they are not disturbed, they often live in close proximity to humans.

They feed on the ground, eating mainly plant foods and, to a lesser extent, invertebrates. In very rare cases, they can feed on trees. There are various ways to obtain food. The green parts of plants and fruits are first captured by the beak and then torn off. Birds dig underground parts of plants located in the upper soil layer by alternating movements of their paws. Small bulbs located deeper in the ground are removed as a whole, and large bulbs are taken out in parts, gouging vertical holes 8-10 cm deep in the soil with a beak.

Of great importance in the life of kecliks are watering places, which they mainly use in July-September. The frequency of visits depends on weather conditions and time of year. In the spring, when green parts of plants predominate in food, birds are rarely found near the water, and in winter they do without water, pecking at the snow.

Description

Coloring. Adult male and female. The plumage of the keklik is very beautiful: the upper side of the body is smoky gray with a wine tint on the fore-back and part of the wing coverts. A black stripe runs from the forehead through the eye to the ear, which borders the yellowish throat. Ear coverts are rufous. There are black spots at the corners of the mouth and at the base of the mandible. The primary flight feathers are brown, on the outer webs there are longitudinal buffy spots, forming a light preapical stripe on the folded wing. Belly and undertail coverts buffy yellow. Helmsmen 14, their color is chestnut-red. In the middle pairs, a smoky gray color is developed at the base of the feather. Feathers on the sides of the body with distinct black and brown transverse stripes. Paws, beak and ring around the eyes are red. There is no sexual dimorphism in plumage coloration.

Juvenile attire (males and females). The upperparts of the body are grayish-brown, with light triangular apical spots on the feathers. The underside of the body is lighter with indistinct transverse brown stripes. The top of the head ("hat") is buffy. The beak is black, the iris is brown, the legs begin to turn red.

Down outfit. The top of the head (forehead, vertex, occiput) is brownish-brown, the cheeks and the spot behind the eye are creamy buffy. A narrow black stripe runs from the eye to the back of the head, limiting the "cap". The back is variegated, dark brown fluff forms 3 longitudinal stripes of a more intense color than the top of the head. Between them are areas covered with long grayish-silver down. On the wing are elongated slightly buffy fluffs. The chin, throat and sides of the neck are almost white with a slight yellowish tinge. The rest of the underside of the body is covered with long white down with a touch of cream. The beak is yellowish at the top, dark at the base. The egg tooth is white. The legs are slightly pinkish.

Structure and dimensions

The wings are blunt, rounded, the tail is of moderate length, slightly rounded. Males differ from females in having spurs. Visual determination of 329 kecliks caught in the south-east of Kazakhstan with subsequent dissection and sex determination showed that out of 191 males, the sex was correctly determined by the presence of a spur in 187 individuals (97.8%) and only 4 birds with spurs turned out to be females. At the same time, out of 138 females, the sex was correctly established in 125 birds (90.6%) by the absence of a spur, and 13 birds without spurs turned out to be males. Among 56 adult females studied in this respect, spurs were found in 10, and in 7 they were found only on one of the paws.

Wing length of males 152–175, females 142–162. The length of the tail in males and females is 80–90, the metatarsus is 43–47. The mass of males is 450–700, females 360–550.

Moult

The keklik does not have clearly demarcated age outfits. Already in 2-day-old downy chicks, the stumps of the 7 primary primaries of the juvenile plumage are clearly visible, and by the age of one month the plumage already consists of 3 plumages - the remnants of the downy, developed juvenile and the first feathers of the adult plumage (the stump of the 9th primary primary primaries, already related to the adult, appears alongside). On the 6th day of life, the vanes of the first five primary primaries begin to unfold, 2–10 secondary primaries are represented by tassels. At the same time, the tassels of the tail feathers, large and medium coverts of the wing are deployed. During the first 4 weeks, fly, tail and contour feathers grow intensively on a significant part of the body. By the end of the 4th week, the downy plumage is preserved only on the head, belly, and rump; it is immediately replaced by the feathers of the definitive plumage, bypassing the stage of juvenile plumage.

In adult birds, one summer-autumn molt is clearly expressed, the duration of which is 4–4.5 months. Its timing depends on participation in incubation. Individuals that do not participate in it or have lost clutches unite in flocks and begin molting. Hatching birds begin to molt only 10–15 days after hatching. On the midline of the abdomen, they develop a wide strip of stumps, and a few days later they appear on the sides of the neck, back and chest. At the same time, molting of flywheels and helmsmen begins. The change of primaries proceeds in the distal direction from 1st to 10th. Secondary primaries begin to change after 1-4 primaries have grown enough. Individual deviations are observed in the molting of secondary primaries - the change of feathers can begin with any of the first 4 secondary primaries.

Thus, among 19 individuals from the Dzungarian Alatau, the beginning of the change of secondary primaries from the 1st or from the 1st and 2nd feathers was noted in 2 individuals (10.5%), from the 2nd or from the 2nd and 3rd - in 6 (31.5%), from the 3rd or 4th - in 3 individuals (15.8%). In 8 birds, the feathers are already so branchy that it was impossible to establish the order of the change. In 5 individuals (26.4%), the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ones were of equal length, and in 3 individuals (15.8%), the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ones were the longest. The molt of the proximal secondary feathers comes somewhat later. More often it starts from the 10th pen, but sometimes from the 9th and goes, as a rule, in 2 directions - distal and proximal.

Cases of some delay in the molting of shoulder feathers have been noted. In general, there are still many unclear points in the molting of adult birds. In winter and spring, individuals are found that have separate stumps and tassels in the neck and back (Dementiev, 1952; Kartashev, 1952; Kuzmina, 1955). In the Chu-Ili mountains, in February, out of 50 examined specimens, molting was noted in 5, and in April, in 28 birds out of 40 (70%), and the nature of this molting remains not yet clear (Kuzmina, 1955).

Subspecies taxonomy

Geographical variability is clinal in nature and manifests itself in variations in color shades of various parts of the plumage and slightly in overall size. Of the 15 known subspecies, 6 inhabit the territory of the USSR (Stepanyan, 1975) A. k. kurdestanica Meinertzhagen, 1923 is distributed along the Main Caucasian Range, Transcaucasia and Talysh. A.k. shestoperovi Sushkin, 1927, lighter in color than the previous form, occurs from the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea east to Mt. Gyaz-Gedyk, to the north to the Mangyshlak peninsula and to the south to the state border of the USSR. A.k. koroviakovi Zarudny, 1914, is distributed eastward from the previous form to the Kugitang and Baysun Ridge.

The nominate subspecies A. k. kakelik (Falk, 1786) (A. k. falki Hartert, 1917 - a synonym for the nominative form, - R. P.) inhabits the Pamir-Alai system (except for southern Badakhshan) and the Tien Shan. A.k. pallescens Hume, 1873, light and dull in color, inhabits the southern part of Badakhshan, south of the valley of the river. Vanch. A.k. dzungarica Sushkin, 1927 is distributed in Dzungarian Alatau, Tarbagatai, Saur, Western and Southern Altai, and Western Tannu-Ola. In border areas, subspecies intergrade.

Notes on systematics

The name given to the species by Falk should be accepted once and for all. It meets all the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1966), because it is accompanied by a description of the most characteristic features in the color of the species (red beak, legs and ring around the eyes), voice (“kakelik. . kakelik. .”) and an indication of its distribution (mountains the then eastern Bukhara, as well as the Tien Shan and Dzungaria). Of course, this description is much less accurate than that given later by Gray on specimens from India, but this is not at all a reason for denying it, and even more so, the name given by Falk cannot be considered as nomen nudum (Kartashev, 1952). As for the species differences between the partridge and the European stone partridge, Alektoris graeca Meisner, 1804, long before Watson (Watson, 1962), this was already done in 1907 by V. L. Bianchi (ed. note, - R. P. ).

Spreading

The distribution area of ​​​​the keklik is very extensive - from the Balkan Peninsula, the islands of the Aegean Sea, the island of Crete and Asia Minor to the east to Altai and Northern China. The northern border runs along the Rhodopes, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the northern slope of the Main Caucasian Range, the Mangyshlak peninsula, the southern cliff of Ustyurt, Mt. Kara-tau, the northern slopes of the Tien Shan and the Chu-Ili mountains, the Dzungarian Alatau, Tarbagatai, Saur, Southern Altai, Western Tannu-Ola, Khangai, Mt. Hurhu. The southern border runs along the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, the south of the Middle East, southern Iran, Pakistan, northern India, and the northwestern parts of the PRC provinces - Sichuan and Shanxi (Fig. 12).

Figure 12.

Within the USSR, the keklik is distributed along the Main Caucasian Range, in Transcaucasia (including Talysh), in the western and central Kopetdag, Bolshie Balkhans, western Uzboi, along the Ustyurt patch, on the Mangyshlak peninsula, along the Badkhyz uplands and, possibly, along the cliffs of the upper reaches rivers Tejen and Murgab. Lives in the mountain uplifts of the Kyzylkum desert (Aristanbeltau, Kuigentau, Aktau, Tokhtatau), the mountains of Khoja-Baba, Baysuntau. Inhabits the Pamir-Alay mountains (except for the Pamir Highlands - see: Potapov, 1966), the Tien Shan system, the Chu-Ili mountains, the Dzungarian Alatau, Tarbagatai, Saur, Western and Southern Altai, Western Tannu-Ola (Fig. 13).

Figure 13.
1 - Alectoris kakelik caucasica, 2 - A. k. laptevi, 3 - A. k. shestoperovi, 4 - A. k. kakelik, 5 - A. k. pallescens, 6 - A. k. dzungarica. (Question mark - unconfirmed indications of finds.)

The northern and northeastern boundaries of the range have not been fully elucidated. There are occurrences of this species on the western coast of the Aral Sea to the south of Keratamak (collections of Burachek dated 21 IV 1924, coll. ZIN AN USSR) and in the Sayans (collections of A. Ya. Kemchik, collected by S. I. Snigirevsky from the Abakan River III 1936, coll. ZIN AN USSR). There are also copies received from the Abakan Procurement Office in January-April 1936, which could have come here from the western Tannu-Ola. Until now, the question of the habitation of the keklik in Mugodzhary (Zarudny, 1888), Ulutau (Pavlov, 1934), in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk and in Semeytau (Khakhlov, Selevin, 1928) still needs to be clarified.

Acclimatized in the Crimean mountains.

wintering

Winter is the most difficult period in the life of kekliks. Deep snowfall limits the movement of birds and significantly reduces the area of ​​feeding grounds. When walking on snow, the weight load on the trail is 43–51 g per cm2 in the keklik, as a result of which the bird becomes deeply stuck (Kuzmina, 1955). In search of food, birds are forced to move to the southern slopes, where the snow cover is less deep and there are areas that are quickly freed from it. Frequent snowfalls with prolonged frosts lead to the death of kekliks from starvation. Sometimes, in such conditions, the migration of kekliks from the mountains to the plains was observed. If the winter is not very severe, then the kecliks prefer to stay in the same places. For example, in the Chulak Mountains (Kazakhstan), 128 birds were tagged on feeding grounds in winter, of which 15 were caught again in the same place after 2–10 days, 13 were recorded or caught after 62–422 days, and only 2 moved to a distance of 300 and 1 500 m. Marking of birds also made it possible to establish the exchange of birds between different flocks.

The daily life of the keklik in winter is reduced to obtaining food. Only on clear, relatively warm days can they be seen sitting motionless on the tops of rocks. Even in the predawn twilight, the voices of kekliks can be heard from the places of overnight stay. The call usually takes a few minutes. As the sun rises, there is a revival among the flocks and the birds begin to fly to the foot of the slopes and to the bottom of the gorges, where there are places free from snow. Here the birds spend most of the day. In the evening they rise to the places of overnight stays, located under the canopies of rocks or at the edge of the bushes. Sometimes, throughout the winter, the flock spends the night in the same place, which is covered with a thick layer of droppings. Some flocks do not leave areas of 200–300 m during the day. Watering places are rarely visited in winter, rather by chance; the need for water is satisfied by pecking snow. Heavy snowfalls wait in bushes or under rock canopies. In cases of prolonged bad weather, they can starve for 2-3 days. Before snowfalls, they intensively feed until snow covers bare ground. An interesting report by R. G. Pfeffer, who observed in the winter of 1974/1975, stands apart. in the Alma-Ata Reserve behind a small flock of 10-15 birds, which regularly fed in the daytime at the foot of the slope among the dried stalks of the tartar. Here, a platform 15x15 m under a layer of snow was pitted with passages, and sometimes, when approaching, it was necessary to scare away the birds flying up from under the snow. According to R. G. Pfeffer, the kekliks made moves in the snow in search of seeds of the tartar.

By the end of February, when there are more areas exposed from snow, kekliks cease to meet in large flocks (in winter, sometimes 100–150 birds concentrate in especially feeding places) and by the beginning of March they begin to break into pairs.

Migrations

Along with the well-known vertical migrations that take place in autumn and spring, movements of many tens of kilometers are known in Tajikistan, which can be considered as long-distance flights (Popov, 1959). They begin already in the first days of September from the depths of the mountains of Kuhistan and end in December after reaching the wintering grounds in the low mountains of southern Tajikistan. These movements are caused by the fact that deep snow is formed in the mountains of Central Tajikistan in winter. The amount of atmospheric precipitation in the places of nesting of migratory populations of the keklik (800–1400 mm per year) is 3–4 times higher than in the wintering areas. The spring return of kecliks to Kuhistan takes place in May, but due to the large death of birds during the migration and wintering, their reverse movement is hardly noticeable. Such essentially migratory keklik populations in the mountains of Central Tajikistan (Popov, 1959; Kovalev and Popov, 1980) are still the only ones of their kind and are unknown in other parts of the range.

habitat

Keklik is a typical bird of rugged terrain in the steppe, semi-desert and desert zones of the Palearctic. Its vast range covers areas that differ greatly in relief, climatic conditions and vegetation, which emphasizes the ecological plasticity of the species. Within the USSR, it inhabits areas from the plains of Turkmenistan, where it lives on the cliffs of clay hills (Dementiev, 1952), to the alpine meadows of the Pamirs at altitudes up to 4,000 m above sea level. m. (Stepanyan, 1969). The most common and numerous kecliks are in the altitude range of 500–2000 m a.s.l. m. Nesting in the alpine belt is unknown. The most typical for the species are low mountain groups located in deserts and steppes, as well as steppe, forest-meadow-steppe and subalpine belts of large mountain ranges.

With an exceptional variety of habitats, the keklik still prefers gorges with rock outcrops and slopes, where stony screes alternate with open grassy areas, sometimes overgrown with shrubs. An important role is played by the presence of watering places (mountain rivers, streams, springs), in exceptional cases, birds can use bitter-salty water. In a number of places, kekliks are found in conditions that are completely unusual for them - for example, on plains among the sands at a considerable distance from the nearest mountains (Serzhpinsky, 1925; Molchanov, 1932; Shnitnikov, 1949; Ishadov, 1970).

In the Caucasus, the keklik inhabits a variety of biotopes from dry slopes of mountains and foothills up to 3500 m above sea level. m., where he lives on placers near glaciers (Satunin, 1907). It descends along treeless stony parts of the mountains almost to the plain, where it is found nesting among the bushes together with the francolin. However, this species always prefers slopes of foothills or gorges of mountain rivers with rock outcrops and scree, where rare xerophytic vegetation prevails. Rarely occupies meadows of northern slopes with juniper sparse forests, avoiding, as a rule, damp areas with rich vegetation.

In the Kopetdag, the keklik lives in small gorges at altitudes of 500–600 m, sometimes rising to the extreme heights of the ridge (2,000 m above sea level), but adhering to places where there are watering places. The lower boundary of distribution lies here in the wormwood-ephemeral semi-desert, and the upper one is associated with areas of mountain xerophytes. In addition, the keklik is also found among shrubs, common from the foot of the mountains to their peaks - in juniper forests, thickets of tragacanth astragalus, other shrubs growing near screes and rocks, among thickets of wild grapes, blackberries and various fruit trees and shrubs (Fedorov, 1949). It also inhabits the steep sandy shores of Uzboy in the region of fresh lakes, where it occurs among saxaul and sandy acacia (Molchanov, 1932).

Keklik reaches its highest heights in the USSR in Badakhshan. In the Shakhdara valley, the upper limit of its distribution passes at an altitude of about 4,000 m above sea level. m. Here the keklik is found throughout the river basin, but its numbers are small; the highest density was recorded at altitudes of 2300–2600 m a.s.l. m. In these alpine conditions, birds lead a sedentary lifestyle and stay during the nesting period and in winter on rocky slopes and moraines among screes (Stepanyan, 1969).

In the Tien Shan, the lower limit of the vertical distribution of the keklik lies at an altitude of 300 m, while the upper one reaches 3600 m above sea level. m. Here the birds live settled, making only small movements. They inhabit rocky slopes covered with xerophytic herbs and berry bushes (cherry, cotoneaster, honeysuckle, ephedra). In large mountain ranges, kekliks are found from the foot of the ridges up to 3,600 m, and in the Kirghiz ridge it is found in small numbers near eternal snows (Spangenberg, Sudilovskaya, 1959), but is absent, however, on the syrts, in the basin of the lake. Sonkel and other high mountain valleys of the Central Tien Shan (Yanushevich et al., 1959).

In the Kirghiz Alatau, the keklik nests in wild rose bushes, on the edges of deciduous and coniferous forests, among rocks and talus. In autumn, flocks are more often found in bushes on the slopes of mountains or river banks. In the Talas Alatau, it lives from the cultural belt to the subalpine (1,000–3,000 m a.s.l.). Inhabits dry rocky slopes with sparse herbaceous vegetation and sparse shrubs. Common in juniper woodlands. Sometimes it nests at the foot of the mountains in areas devoid of rocky outcrops with vegetation of a meadow rather than steppe nature (Kovshar, 1966).

In the Zeravshan, Turkestan and Gissar ranges, it inhabits rocky slopes with thickets of shrubs, rarely keeps on treeless rocks and screes, and even less often on grassy slopes. The limits of altitudinal distribution in these ridges are 1200–3500 m a.s.l. m.

In the ridges of the Dzungarian Alatau, the keklik is most numerous at altitudes of 500–1,500 m above sea level. m., where it inhabits the desert, steppe and forest-meadow-steppe belts. It is found in large numbers in the western spurs (mountains Chulak and Malay-Sary), bordering on the rubble desert. Inhabits rocky gorges with extensive scree and areas of herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, among shrubs of boyalych, ephedra, meadowsweet, lanceolate curly and hawthorn.

On the Malay-Sary mountain plateau, the keklik inhabits narrow gorges overlooking the plateau, which is used for sowing grain crops. After the harvest is over, the birds feed on the remaining grain. On the ridge Altyn-Emel keklik rises to a height of 2,000 m above sea level. m., where the vegetation has a certain northern flavor and is represented by deciduous trees that form along the rivers a dense urema of birches, willows and bird cherry. Along the streams there are areas with permanently green grass cover. A high number of birds and small fluctuations in numbers occur in the lower belts of large mountain ranges up to 2,000 m a.s.l. m. Here the birds find the most suitable conditions for existence.

population

Information about the number of keklik in various regions is very scarce. In the Central Kopetdag, the total number of birds was determined to be 121,000, i.e. 810 broods (Laptev, 1936). In the last 20 years, counts of this species have been carried out mainly in hunting farms. The study of the long-term dynamics of the number of partridges on permanent routes was carried out from 1972 to 1976. in late August-mid-October in the southeast of Kazakhstan. In hr. Karatau, the number of counted birds per 1 km of the route changed quite strongly over this period. The results of the surveys showed that the largest number of partridges was noted in the Karatau and Altyn-Emel ridges, where the growth in numbers was hindered by unfavorable conditions of individual winters. The highest density of birds was noted in the Kirghiz Alatau, where the number, although it underwent some changes over the years, remained high.

reproduction

Daily activity, behavior

The daily activity of the keklik is clearly delimited into 2 periods - daytime and nighttime. During the daylight hours, birds are especially active in the morning and evening hours. In summer, at sunrise, kekliks are often found feeding, and in the hot hours of the day they rest in the shade of bushes or rocks. With the onset of evening coolness, their activity increases again and, feeding, they gradually rise to the upper parts of the slopes, where they spend the night. Rainfall greatly reduces the activity of birds, and they wait it out in the bushes, and when the weather stops, they feed near these places.

A characteristic feature of the life of kecliks in late summer and early autumn is regular visits to watering places. With dawn, flocks descend to springs and rivers, more often overcoming the distance through the air. Places of watering places are open areas of the banks of rivers, springs or scree gently descending to the water. On hot days, they often take a rest in the bushes closest to the watering place, where they bathe in dust baths, resembling nest trays without building material.

Kekliks are social birds and spend most of the year in flocks. Only during the breeding season, and even then not all, keep in pairs. At the end of the mating season, individuals that do not participate in the incubation of clutches and the upbringing of young animals unite in flocks. After the chicks hatch, the broods live either in separate flocks, or they unite in larger flocks, which usually do not differ in great constancy. For example, in late August-early September, flocks of up to 100 individuals are often found in especially feeding places along the slopes of mountains and the bottoms of gorges, but when disturbed, they easily disintegrate. Flocks of adult birds, isolated in June and consisting of females that have lost their clutches and males that do not participate in incubation, disintegrate only by the next spring, which is confirmed by the capture of marked birds. In such flocks, there are usually no more than 8–12 individuals.

Food

Information on the diet of the partridge within the USSR is quite extensive and the total number of birds studied exceeds 2000. The nutrition of the partridge has been most fully studied in the Dzungarian Alatau (Kuzmina, 1955), in the northern Tien Shan (Kuzmina, 1955), in the Kopetdag (Rustamov, 1945; Fedorov , 1949; Kogan, 1950), in the western Tien Shan (Ostapenko, 1958; 1965; Kovshar, 1966; Salikhbaev et al., 1970), in the Pamir-Alai (Minin, 1939; Popov, 1959; Ivanov, 1969; Abdusalyamov , 1971), as well as in the Caucasus (Dal, 1949; Khanmamedov, 1955).

311 species of higher plants from 53 families, as well as mosses and algae, have been recorded in the food of the yoghurt. Among animal food, the basis is 132 species of insects from 36 families of 10 orders. Mollusks are much rarer (10 species), and, as an exception, spiders are eaten. In terms of occurrence, diversity of species composition and volume, plant food in the diet of the keklik significantly prevails over animal food. In general, the ratio of plant and animal feed among the kecliks of Kazakhstan is expressed by the following figures. Only plant food was found in 1,076 individuals (77.3%), mixed food in 309 (22.1%), exclusively animal food in 8 birds (0.6%). Among plant foods, representatives of 9 main families can be distinguished: cereals 35 species (58.3% of occurrence), rosaceae 26 (26%), lilies 21 (25.6%), amaryllis 2 (23.7%), borage 26 (15.2%), umbrella 14 ( 13.1%), Compositae 36 (13.1%), Legumes 31 (12.7%), Buckwheat 8 (12.5%). The remaining families in the food of the yoghurt make up less than 10% of the occurrence. The main food animals are represented by the orders of Orthoptera (22 species), Coleoptera (56 species) and Hemiptera (33 species).

All keklik food can be divided into 4 groups: 1 - seeds and fruits (including berries) of herbaceous plants and shrubs; 2 - green parts of plants (leaves, stems, flowers); 3 - underground parts of plants (bulbs, tubers, roots, rhizomes); 4- invertebrates (insects, spiders, molluscs).

Of all the groups of plant food in terms of frequency of occurrence and diversity of species composition, the most important place is occupied by seeds (178 species of 35 families). The basis of this food group is the seeds of cereals (25 species), borage (21 species), cruciferous (10 species), lily and haze (9 species each). The remaining families are represented by a smaller number of species. Throughout the year, seeds make up a significant part of the food, with the exception of the spring months, when few seeds survive the winter. A particularly large number of seeds are eaten in the second half of summer and autumn, when molting birds after breeding require a particularly nutritious and varied diet. Long-term preservation of seeds largely ensures the nutrition of birds in the winter.

Of the underground parts of plants in the diet of the keklik, bulbs, tubers, basal bulbs and roots of herbaceous plants of 25 species (9 families), especially onions, goose onions, tulips, are noted, but the basal bulbs of cereals (bulbous bluegrass and bulbous barley) are in the first place in terms of frequency of occurrence. ) and amaryllis bulbs (ixiorillion and ungernia). Quite often, geranium and umbrella tubers (scaligeria) are found in the food of the keklik. In winter, obtaining deep-seated bulbs and tubers is difficult due to freezing of the soil, and birds use only basal bulbs of bulbous bluegrass.

Green fodder is quite diverse and is represented by 61 species from 18 families of higher plants. The bulk of them are cereals, as well as Compositae (15 species, of which 5 species of wormwood, dandelions), legumes (13 species, of which 4 species of astragalus, creeping clover, alfalfa, peas, two types of licorice, etc.). In addition, there are representatives of haze, umbrella, borage.

In spring (March-April), greens and flowers of ephemera are the main food group in the diet of kecliks. Among this group, we should especially highlight various types of lilies (Alleum, Gagea, Tulipa), saffron, bulbous bluegrass and ixiolirion.

Berries in comparison with other groups of vegetable feeds play a small role in the diet. The limited species composition, relatively low occurrence and short period of use make the berries clearly a secondary food. In total, berries of 25 species from 11 families were noted in the food of the keklik. Cherry, hawthorn, wild rose, cotoneaster are eaten more often than others. Berries of sucker, solanaceous, mulberry, honeysuckle, barberry, and grape berries are noted in the diet of partridges in relatively small areas. During the period of mass ripening, berries in most areas become the main food for a short time, displacing all other types of food.

Animal feeds occupy a special place in the diet of the keklik in terms of their nutritional value. For example, eating mollusks in the spring helps to replenish the loss of calcium necessary for the formation of egg shells. Of the insects most often eaten are orthoptera, mainly locusts (16 species). Of the Coleoptera, elephants (23 species) and leaf beetles (14 species) are used more often than others, as well as other beetles, not precisely defined. Hemiptera are less common, but in terms of species composition they are inferior only to Coleoptera and are eaten in bulk by the keklik only in places of accumulation. For example, in November-December 1978, in the Zailiysky Alatau (Zhamanty gorge), bugs were noted in the diet of 17 out of 61 individuals. Other species of bugs were also noted here: Euridema ornata, Emlethis spp., Corizus hyoscyami, Corioneris histicornis, Sciocoris deltocephalus.

In the southeast of Kazakhstan, animal feed in the diet of the keklik (occurrence 13.4%) is present from August to January (most often in August and December). Usually this type of food is found as a small supplement to vegetable food, but in some individuals it can be 50–85% and, as an exception (1 case), even 100% of the contents of the goiter. Of the insects, locusts are especially often eaten in autumn (30%), the second place in terms of frequency of encounters is occupied by bugs (27.7%), which are present in the diet from October to December, but are noted in the largest number in November-December. It is likely that birds find insects at this time in places of their mass accumulations on wintering grounds.

Beetles in the diet of partridges were noted from October to November (occurrence 24.4%), and most often they come across in October. Ants are eaten in small numbers from August to October (12.2% of encounters), mollusks - in September-November.

In summer, the food of adults is the most diverse in comparison with other seasons of the year; usually, 2–3 food groups can be found in each crop. Animal feed in this period is a relatively small part. In only one case, 17 Ponsadenia semenowi mollusks (30% of the contents of the crop weighing 19 g) were found in the crop of an incubating female.

In the south-east of Kazakhstan, the underground parts of plants that prevail in the diet in August-September give way later to seeds and greens - the main food of the winter season. The process of changing feeds is due not only to the abundance of the latter at a given time. The reduction of the underground parts of plants in the composition of the diet occurs long before snow falls, when this type of food becomes less available. In general, it should be noted that with an abundance of food, kecliks show a rather high selective ability, preferring only certain foods and certain types of plants.

In different parts of the vast range within the USSR, the average share of seeds, underground parts of plants and greenery in the annual diet of the keklik is approximately the same and exceeds the share of berries and animal feed by more than 2 times. At the same time, significant changes in the composition of the diet occur depending on the season. Thus, the share of seeds and underground parts of plants during the year varies by 4–5 times, reaching a maximum in July-August and a minimum in April. On the contrary, green fodder is especially actively consumed in March-April and most rarely in June and July. The occurrence of animal feed varies 12 times, with a maximum in June-August. Berries, with their complete absence in January, were found in August in more than 40% of individuals.

The nutrition of chicks in our country has not been studied enough. Only in the Dzungarian Alatau, the contents of the crops and stomachs of 36 chicks aged from 2 days to 1 month were determined (Ostapenko, 1958). The food of chicks in the first month of life turned out to be very diverse here. Insects were mainly eaten (locusts, grasshoppers, song cicadas, cicadas, cows, borers, weevils, dark beetles, lamellar, flies, ants), as well as mollusks. Among plant foods, seeds of buckwheat, sweet clover, shrenkia were noted. The chicks also ate ephedra and wild cherry berries, and from the underground parts of plants, only bulbs of ixiolirion were noted in their food, and from green food - pieces of leaves of herbaceous plants.

One of the 2-day-old chicks contained locust larvae, small particles of Diptera and an ant in the food composition. The goiter of the second chick was empty, and small remains of plant seeds and small gastroliths were found in the stomach. A 5-day-old chick had only seeds in its crop, and their ground remains in the stomach. In an 8-day-old chick, in addition to locust and Diptera larvae, leafhopper, ladybird, borers, weevil and darkling beetle were found, in the stomach - the remains of animal and vegetable feed. In an 11-day-old chick, already underground parts of plants were found in food - small bulbs of ixiolirion, and in addition, bugs and plant seeds. Nestlings (5 individuals) at the age of 14–21 days ate ephedra and wild cherry berries, and from animals - large beetles (ground beetles). Buckwheat seeds were also found in their crops.

By the end of the first month of life, the composition of feed becomes more and more diverse: greens and various mollusks, seeds of sweet clover and Velcro appear. As before, bugs, orthopterans, beetles, ephedra berries and ixiolirion bulbs are eaten, but in larger quantities. The average mass of gastroliths in the stomachs of such chicks is 0.5 g. At the age of 1.5–2 months, the ratio of animal and plant foods in the diet of the keklik gradually levels off, and at the age of 3 months it differs little from the food of adults.

Economic importance, protection

Hunting for kecliks in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Kakhastan has long been very popular. In the 30s. of the current century, commercial preparations of this valuable type of game were also produced, which came not only to domestic, but also to foreign markets. Only through the Leningrad export base in 1927-1928. 166.7 thousand pieces passed (13.6% of all game processed there), in the next winter - 198.1 thousand (17.9%), and in the next few winters - more than 70 thousand annually, with the maximum number of birds during the winter (1930–1931) ) amounted to 233.2 thousand (Rudanovsky, Nasimovich, 1933, - quoted from: Grachev, 1983). According to far from complete data, Keklik in 1962–1963. occupied the second place in production in Kazakhstan after the gray partridge, and in 1965 - the first.

During the hunting seasons 1962-1965. from 16 to 53 thousand pieces were mined annually (Kondratenko, Smirnov, 1973). In the “harvest” years, the keklik becomes the main type of mountain game caught in the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan and has a significant weight in the total volume of game birds shot. Planned procurement is currently not carried out. Many gunless methods of extraction previously described in the literature (Buturlin, 1932; Naumov, 1931; Popov, 1956) have lost their significance or are inapplicable due to the great damage caused to populations. The main line of use of the keklik is currently sporting gun hunting.

The optimal time for hunting for a keklik should be recognized as the second half of November-first half of December, when the birds have the maximum weight (adult males 613 g, adult females 504, young males and females, respectively, 553 and 475 g).

The peculiar nesting biology of the partridge contributes to the maintenance of a high abundance of the species in favorable years and, what is especially important, to a rapid increase in the population after mass death. Given the economic importance of the keklik as one of the main hunting objects in the mountains of the south of the USSR, one should be very careful about its livestock. This implies keeping constant records of the number of livestock, elementary biotechnical measures during severe snowy winters (mainly top dressing) and a ban on hunting for a period of at least 3 years after especially severe winters.

The build is tight, stocky. The head is small, the neck is thick. The beak is massive. Legs are strong; they walk and run well (but not with small steps, like pigeons). They take off quickly and noisily. The wings are short, blunt, arched.

Birds of small size (from a small chicken or even from a feathered chicken)

Keep in open dry biotopes

Partridge gray perdix perdix ( Pheasant or Peacock)

Length 30, weight 410. Grayish-brown above, rusty transverse stripes on the sides; a brown horseshoe-shaped spot on the chest. They stay on the ground, run across in a loose flock, rummage in the ground, bathe in the dust. Do not sit on trees. The takeoff is strong, noisy, with clapping, the flight is fast, with frequent flaps. They fly low and for a short distance; before landing - sliding and turning to the side.

Grain fields interspersed with shrubs, large forest clearings; river floodplains. Throughout the territory, all year round; in winter on grain fields, on blowouts; in deep snow they fly to feed on the outskirts of villages, on the threshing floor and stacks of straw.

common quail Coturnix coturnix ( Order Galliformes, Pheasant family, or Peacocks)

Length 19, weight 90. The smallest representative of chicken - from a thrush, short-tailed (tail down). Reddish-brown, with dark and light longitudinal streaks. Above the eye is a light eyebrow. By habits and demeanor - a miniature chicken: they run easily, dig in the ground, scattering it with their feet, bathe in dust. They are most active at night and at dusk. The flight is fast, direct, with frequent strokes; before landing, they fly in a gliding flight. Do not sit on trees.

Grain fields, river valleys and meadow glades in the forest zone, forest-steppe, steppe; during warm time.