Red Legged Partridge

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission : Alpes Maritimes, September

Bird name: Red Legged Partridge
Latin: Alectoris rufa
Other: Perdiz roja (Es) • Perdiz-vermelha (Pt) • Perdrix rouge (Fr) • Pernice rossa (It)
Family: Phasianidae • Partridges
Range: Spain, Portugal, France, N Italy, UK (introduced)
Similar: Rock Partridge

A group of Red-legged Partridges spotted crossing the road, at some distance. In the Alpes Maritimes, the Rock Partridge is also a possibility, and at this distance I couldn’t be sure of the ID. One differentiator is the collar of the two birds. The countryside is overrun with hunters at this time of the year, so it’s possible these were released.