Red-legged Partridge - 1949

Alectoris rufa rufa

According to Mathew, attempts at introduction had failed, and the only record of which he knew was of one shot at Picton.  It was introduced, amongst other places, at Fishguard, but died out.  One shot at St Dogmaels, 23 Nove 1910 (T.Ground)

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society 

Red-legged Partridge - 2003-07

The county population of red-legged partridge is sustained by annual releases for the purpose of shooting. Those birds which survive the shooting season are able to breed but it is doubtful that a self sustaining population would endure without further releases. Comparing the results of the two surveys indicates a fivefold increase but in the absence of information on the scale of releases, which appears to be unregulated, it is impossible to meaningfully interpret these findings.

Graham Rees

Fieldwork 2003-07 (based on 490 tetrads)

large dots = breeding confirmed = 5

Medium dots = breeding probable = 8

Small dots = breeding possible = 12

Total tetrads in which registered = 25 (5.1%)

Red-legged Partridge - 1994

Artificially maintained

Early attempts at introduction were unsuccessful, as reported by Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949). Introductions from 1971 onwards, at a variety of localities including the Angle Estate and Boulston, have been maintained by turning down new stock annually. They are introduced to provide quarry for sportsmen but some survive to breed free and others have wandered away from their area of introduction, one having reached Ramsey, possibly having come from a release area at Dowrog.

Pure Red-legged Partridge, pure Chukar (Alectoris chukar) and hybrids between the two have all been introduced in recent times. It is doubtful whether any would endure for long were introductions to cease.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 4

Yellow = breeding possible = 1

Total tetrads in which registered = 5 (1.1%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire

Red-legged Partridge - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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