The chukar stands about 13-15 inches (33-38.1 cm) in length with a wingspan of 20.1 inches (51 cm).
It has a light grayish-brown back and wings and a white belly. Its head, chest, and rear are gray; it has white cheeks and a white throat surrounded by a black band. It has black stripes on its sides and a black band across its forehead. Its bill, eyelids, feet, and legs are pink to dark red.
Males and females look alike.
The chukar feeds on seeds, grasses, bulbs, stems, fruit, and leaves. It also eats small amounts of insects like grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and ants.
Male and female chukars form pairs from February through April. The male performs a courtship ritual that involves head-tilting and showing his barred flanks.
Both the male and female call out to each other and peck at objects on the ground. The female lays 8-15 eggs in a scrape (a shallow depression) lined with grass, leaves, and feathers, and made in the shelter of rocks or brush.
The male often leaves the female after she has laid her eggs. The chicks hatch after about 24 days. They are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching, beginning to feed on insects. They begin to fly when they are about two weeks old.
The chukar has a lifespan of 5-7 years in the wild.
The chukar rarely flies. It is a good runner and can also hop across the rocky terrain in its habitat.
Except for during the breeding season, chukars live in coveys (groups) of up to 40 birds.
The chukar is a member of the pheasant family.
It is a non-native species that was introduced to North America as a game bird in the late 1800s.
It is native to the mountainous areas of the Middle East and Asia.
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The chukar is found from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and Colorado.
The chukar has also been introduced to Hawaii. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
