- Lifespan
- 3–5 years in the wild; up to 10 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- Males 75–89 cm, females 53–63 cm; males 1.0–1.3 kg, females 0.6–0.9 kg
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, hedgerows, farmland with dense cover, and reed beds, preferring areas with thick undergrowth and open ground for feeding.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; largely resident year-round, with populations supplemented by released birds for shooting.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, insects, berries, and vegetation; heavily dependent on cultivated crops and natural food sources seasonally.
- Predators
- Foxes, stoats, weasels, sparrowhawks, golden eagles, and crows; chicks vulnerable to corvids and mustelids.
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 7–15 olive-brown eggs; incubation period 23–27 days; single brood per season; females nest on the ground in dense cover.
- Behaviour
- Males are highly territorial and polygamous, defending ranges with loud crowing and aggressive displays. They roost in trees at night and forage on the ground during the day. Social structure is loose outside breeding season, with birds forming loose flocks.