On the first day of Christmas…
December 11, 2015
To celebrate Christmas in the South Downs National Park, join us for a journey of the #12DaysofSouthDowns!
On the first day of Christmas, the South Downs National Park is giving you story of the grey partridge.
The grey partridge is native to Britain and actually a ground bird so you’ll never really catch it in a pear tree! While once commonly found and widespread, the bird is currently on the RSPB Red List.
You’ll find these little guys in the South Downs National Park as they prefer lowland chalk areas and like to stay well-hidden at the base of a hedge or clump of vegetation. Their nests are a cosy scrape in the ground, lined with grass and leaves.
The grey partridge is a key indicator species. This means that if the grey partridge is doing well we know that the place it lives is a healthy habitat for other plants and animals. That’s why we’re looking at farmland in the National Park to better understand how well-managed land can support the partridge. This work is one of the longest running studies on the birds in the UK and has helped shape agricultural, environment schemes and conversation efforts for decades.