Gray Partridge
Gray Partridge has risen sharply: up 53% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Gray Partridge
The Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) 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 316 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 16 states, most concentrated in the Prairie Potholes.
- Family
- Phasianidae · Game birds
Notable Gray Partridge Trends
No notable trend signals for Gray Partridge. See the full index history below.
Gray Partridge Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Gray Partridge is projected to fall about 64% by 2029 — from 0.07 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.02 (95% range 0.00–0.09). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±45.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
| 2027 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
| 2029 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
Where the Gray Partridge Is Detected
BBS routes recording Gray Partridge, sized by most recent count.
Gray Partridge Population Trend by State
| Idaho | -39% | 1978 | 27 |
| Illinois | -96% | 1971 | 11 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Iowa | +83% | 1970 | 26 |
| Minnesota | +10% | 1971 | 40 |
| Montana | +70% | 1970 | 55 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| New York | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| North Dakota | +189% | 1969 | 50 |
| Oregon | -88% | 1978 | 9 |
| South Dakota | -16% | 1972 | 28 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Washington | -56% | 1971 | 23 |
| Wisconsin | -78% | 1968 | 17 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 10 |
Gray Partridge Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -58% | 1970 | 66 |
| Northern Rockies | +59% | 1973 | 25 |
| Prairie Potholes | +146% | 1969 | 113 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +293% | 1970 | 47 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -92% | 1969 | 33 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -71% | 1968 | 28 |
Gray Partridge Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 53% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.