Chasing the Game-Birds of Hawaii - Part 3

Parts 1 and 2 of this series discussed the first 12 species of the currently listed 15 Hawai‘i Island game-birds, which consist of the following: doves (three species)–barred, spotted and mourning; francolins (three species)–black, Erckel’s and gray; pheasants (three species)–kalij, ring-necked and melanistic mutant (blue); quail (three species)–California valley, Gambel’s and Japanese; chukar partridge; chestnut-bellied sandgrouse; and Rio Grande turkey.

Part 3 concludes the series with a discussion of the chukar partridge, the sandgrouse and the wild turkey, along with some closing observations and comments.

A medium-sized partridge, the chukar is about 15 inches long and weighs about 1½ lbs. The female is slightly smaller than the male; otherwise the sexes are similar. The bird is grayish-brown to olive above, with buff underparts. It has a distinctive black line through the forehead, eyes, and down the neck, forming a collar between