The Vocal Partridge
Some more details of the very minute and curious observa- tions made at Jealott's Hill in reference to the partridge may interest bird watchers in general. It is noticed that the English partridges invariably open their beaks widely when they make their call, and there is a definite swelling of the sides and front of the throat when they do it. The chukar also open their beaks, but less widely than the English, and similarly swell the throat. The American bob-white quail behave in the same way, with the beak only slightly open. The most interesting one is the French partridge. He practically never, if ever, makes, when in a pen, the usual call that one hears among wild Frenchmen, but he frequently chatters—a sort of gobbling noise. When he does this there is a very notice- able swelling of the whole of the throat and the neck, back, front and sides, with the beak slightly open. The swelling is quite remarkable with all the feathers fluffed out so that the whole part from the head to the shoulders looks like an inflated bicycle tyre. Of course, most birds singing or calling open the beak—a canary, blackbird and thrush are common examples.
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