Biological and Ecological Assesment of Chukar Partridge Population in Turkey

Chukar partridge is one of the most beloved animal species by our people. In our country, a cultural and emotional bond has been formed between Chukar partridge and men, listening to the calls of the home-raised partridges became a indispensable passion and tradition, the partridge became the most favorite theme for the folk songs as well. Recently, however, the rapidly developing industry, agricultural mechanization, and rapid population growth became real threats to the natural balance of ecosystems and to their sustainable management and, thus, transformation of wilderness areas into agricultural land, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, and unregulated excessive hunting had a negative impact on wildlife habitats. The Chukar partridge populations in our country has also been influenced by these negative impacts. The work conducted to assess partridge populations in cooperation by hunter’s associations, village guides, expert people and institutions shows that there is a country-wide decrease in partridge populations. In order to sustain chukar partridge in our folk culture as well as in the nature, the scientific articles concerning the biology, ecology, assesment of populations and the population limiting factors has been viewed and discussed in this article