The Arabian partridge ( Alectoris melanocephala ) is a species of bird of the family Phasianidae, native to the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Two subspecies are recognised, A. m. melanocephala and A. m. guichardi.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae |
| Genus | Alectoris |
| Species | Alectoris melanocephala |
The Arabian partridge ( Alectoris melanocephala ) is a species of bird of the family Phasianidae, native to the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Two subspecies are recognised, A. m. melanocephala and A. m. guichardi. It occasionally hybridises with Philby's partridge ( Alectoris philbyi ) and with the rock partridge ( Alectoris graeca )
The Arabian partridge is native to southern Saudi Arabia, Yemen and western Oman. It has been introduced to the United Arab Emirates. The subspecies A. m. guichardi is found in eastern Hadramut and eastern Yemen, and A. m. melanocephala in the rest of the range. It is found on grassy slopes and stony ground with a reasonable amount of vegetation cover, from close to sea level up to an altitude of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 feet)
It feeds on seeds, other plant material such as Mediterranean grass and cudweed, and small invertebrates
The breeding season begins in March and a clutch of five to eight eggs is laid in a shallow scrape on the ground. The eggs are pale buff with brown spots and are incubated for about 25 days before hatching into precocial chicks that can soon leave the nest
The Arabian partridge has a wide distribution and is common in many parts of it. The total population size is unknown, but the population trend appears to be stable. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of the bird as "Least Concern"
