Home/Species/ Chukar

Alectoris chukar

(Gray, 1830)

Chukar

G5Secure Found in 90 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100461

Element CodeABNLC03010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassAves

OrderGalliformes

FamilyPhasianidae

GenusAlectoris

Other Common Names

Perdrix choukar (FR)

Concept Reference

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.

Taxonomic Comments

Formerly regarded as a subspecies of A. graeca. Chukar populations in Israel comprise a rare avian example of genic divergence across short geographical distances and are a valuable scientific and conservation resource (Randi and Alkon 1994).

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-04-06

Change Date1996-11-25

Range Extent Comments

Native to Eurasia. Introduced and resident in North America, from British Columbia, northern Idaho, central and eastern Montana south to northern Baja California, southern Nevada, northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and south-central Colorado. Also Hawaii (established on all main islands except Oahu) (AOU 1983).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rocky hillsides, mountain slopes with grassy vegetation, open and flat desert with sparse grasses, and barren plateaus (AOU 1983). In North America, prefers rocky slopes in sagebrush-grassland communities where water is available. In North America, nests usually in sagebrush-grasslands on slopes of hills, on the ground, near the cover of a rock, shrub, or clump of grass, in a shallow depression lined with vegetation, leaves, and feathers.

Ecology

In favorable habitat density may reach levels of 1 bird per 4 ha (Bureau of Land Management, no date). In late summer family groups may join and form larger groups. Males reportedly may leave female during incubation and spend summer with other males.

Reproduction

Clutch size is about 8-15. Incubation by female lasts 22-23 days (some authorities state male may incubate 1st clutch while female lays a 2nd). Nestlings are precocial. Young are almost full-size at 84 days.

Terrestrial Habitats

Shrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert

Other Nations (2)

CanadaNNA

Province	Rank	Native
British Columbia	SNA	No

United StatesNNA

Province	Rank	Native
Wyoming	SNA	No
Arizona	SNA	No
Navajo Nation	SNA	No
California	SNA	No
Washington	SNA	No
Oregon	SNA	No
Nebraska	SNA	No
Illinois	SNA	No
Montana	SNA	No
Hawaii	SNA	No
Nevada	SNA	No
New Mexico	SNA	No
South Dakota	SNA	No
Colorado	SNA	No
Idaho	SNA	No
Utah	SNA	No
Texas	SNA	No

Roadless Areas (90)

California (11)

Area	Forest	Acres
Birch Creek	Inyo National Forest	28,816
Black Canyon	Inyo National Forest	32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)	Inyo National Forest	210,884
Damon Butte	Modoc National Forest	25,022
Glass Mountain	Inyo National Forest	52,867
Mill Peak	San Bernardino National Forest	7,884
Paiute	Inyo National Forest	58,712
Scodies	Sequoia National Forest	725
Soldier Canyon	Inyo National Forest	40,589
Tinemaha	Inyo National Forest	27,060
Wonoga Pk.	Inyo National Forest	11,272

Idaho (7)

Area	Forest	Acres
Boulder - White Clouds	Salmon-Challis National Forest	139,297
Boulder - White Clouds	Sawtooth National Forest	322,653
Italian Peak	Caribou-Targhee National Forest	141,158
Lemhi Range	Salmon-Challis National Forest	308,533
Peace Rock	Boise National Forest	191,734
Pioneer Mountains	Sawtooth National Forest	119,563
Pioneer Mountains	Salmon-Challis National Forest	172,460

Montana (4)

Area	Forest	Acres
Mt. Gmt Area H	Custer National Forest	1,335
North Big Hole	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	52,227
Sapphire	Bitterroot National Forest	43,303
West Big Hole	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	133,563

Nevada (38)

Area	Forest	Acres
Arc Dome - Pablo	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	99
Arc Dome - Secret Bsn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	74,782
Bald Mtn.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	41,598
Bank Springs	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	18,126
Bunker Hill	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	27,569
Buttermilk	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	19,373
Charleston - Carpenter	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	17,828
Copper Mtns.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	31,945
Georges Canyon	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	108,551
Grant - Lower Scofield	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,816
Grant - Scofield	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	3,265
Grant - Wiregrass	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	8,541
Humboldt - Checkers SE	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	640
Humboldt - South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	11,152
Humboldt - Winchell	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	1,272
Jarbidge - West Fork	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	2,725
Lovell Summit South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	28,455
Mahogany Ridge	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	16,765
Moriah - Hendrys Ck.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	2,345
Moriah - Silver Creek	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	1,582
North Schell	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	30,773
North Shoshone Peak	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	40,667
Pearl Peak	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	71,405
Pine Grove North	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	8,749
Potosi	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,145
Ruby - Lamoille Cyn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	32,771
Ruby - Marsh	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	10,164
Santa Rosa	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	54,555
Snake - Big Wash	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,146
Snake - Hatchery	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,627
Snake - Peacock Cyn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	1,069
South Schell	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	125,614
Stirling - Jaybird	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	2,468
Toiyabe Range	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	99,225
Warm Springs	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	29,540
West Schell	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	21,656
West Silver Creek	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,028
Wildhorse	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	11,204

New Hampshire (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Kearsarge	White Mountain National Forest	4,554

Oregon (10)

Area	Forest	Acres
Buckhorn	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	17,180
Cook Ridge	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	19,617
Homestead	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	5,817
Imnaha Face	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	29,575
Joseph Canyon	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	24,288
Lord Flat Somers Point	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	67,738
Mountain Sheep	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	19,457
Sheep Divide	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	16,201
Snake River	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	31,229
W - T Three	Umatilla National Forest	1,705

Utah (13)

Area	Forest	Acres
418024	Uinta National Forest	51,699
418025	Uinta National Forest	32,698
Beehive Peak	Fishlake National Forest	59,137
Capital Reef	Dixie National Forest	763
Lewis Peak	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	11,616
Mahogany Range	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	11,409
Mollens Hollow	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	17,690
Mt. Aire	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	9,681
Mt. Logan North	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	18,930
Mt. Olympus	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	9,982
Pine Valley Mountains	Dixie National Forest	57,673
Signal Peak	Fishlake National Forest	30,889
Stansbury Mountains	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	39,696

Wyoming (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
Cloud Peak Contiguous	Bighorn National Forest	113,757
Horse Creek Mesa	Bighorn National Forest	77,808
Middle Fork	Shoshone National Forest	51,772
South Beartooth Highway	Shoshone National Forest	105,570
Trout Creek	Shoshone National Forest	44,034
West Slope Winds	Bridger-Teton National Forest	143,252

References (7)

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Bureau of Land Management. Life History Summaries.
Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.
Randi, E., and P. U. Alkon. 1994. Genetic structure of chukar (ALECTORIS CHUKAR) populations in Israel. Auk 111:416-426.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.