Chukar
Chukar has surged: up 109% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Chukar
The Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a North American member of the Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys (Phasianidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the game birds.
- Size
- 12–47 in long (30–120 cm) — a ground-dwelling game bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Fields, brushland, prairie and the forest floor, where it forages and nests on the ground.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, buds, leaves and insects gathered on the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 209 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 11 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Phasianidae · Game birds
Notable Chukar Trends
Chukar has surged in surveyed states: up 109% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
Chukar Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Chukar is projected to fall about 36% by 2029 — from 0.17 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.11 (95% range 0.05–0.17). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±24.1%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.10 | 0.04 | 0.16 |
| 2026 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.16 |
| 2027 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.16 |
| 2028 | 0.11 | 0.05 | 0.16 |
| 2029 | 0.11 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
Where the Chukar Is Detected
BBS routes recording Chukar, sized by most recent count.
Chukar Population Trend by State
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | +548% | 1972 | 26 |
| Colorado | -66% | 1985 | 6 |
| Idaho | -92% | 1973 | 21 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Nevada | +695% | 1970 | 30 |
| Oregon | -42% | 1970 | 42 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Utah | -65% | 1971 | 40 |
| Washington | +7% | 1971 | 23 |
| Wyoming | +365% | 1981 | 18 |
Chukar Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -8% | 1970 | 125 |
| Northern Rockies | +24% | 1973 | 35 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -79% | 1975 | 26 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | +573% | 1974 | 18 |
Chukar Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 109% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.