Alectoris chukar
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Galliformes
Phasianidae
- Not Evaluated
NE - No Alien Population
NA - Data Deficient
DD - Minimal Concern
MC - Minor
MN - Moderate
MO - Major
MR - Massive
MV
- General
- Distribution
- Impact
- Management
- Bibliography
- Contact
Common name
iwashako (Japanese), chucor (English), coturnice orientale (Italian), perdrix choukar (French), chukar (English), chukarhuhn (German), orebice cukar (Czech), berghöna (Swedish), perdiz chucar (Spanish), vuoripyy (Finnish), aziatische steenpatrijs (Dutch), perdiz-chukar (Portuguese), kuropta cukar (Slovak), chukor (English), Indian chukor (English), chukar partridge (English), chukor partridge (English), rock partridge (English), chukarhøne (Danish), góropatwa azjatycka (Polish), berghæna (Icelandic), berghøne (Norwegian)
Synonym
Alectoris kakelik
Tetrao kakelik
Tetrao kakelik
Similar species
Summary
Alectoris chukar has a wide distribution, stretching from the Aegean Sea through to Central and Eastern Asia. There does however seem to be two genetic clades within the species, those from the Mediterranean through to Central Asia and those from Eastern Asia. This is important as individuals used in the introduction into North America and Hawaii were from individuals from Eastern Asia; whereas individuals causing hybrization problems in Europe come from the Mediterranean and Central Asian clade. This hybridization is causing major problems to the genetic purity of the native Alectoris rufa in the Iberian Peninsula, and strict measures in regards to potential hybridization, and the importation and introduction of farm-reared individuals needs to be introduced.
Notes
Alectoris chukar has a wide distribution, stretching from the Aegean Sea through to Central and Eastern Asia (Barbanera et al, 2009b). There does however seem to be two genetic clades within the species, those from the Mediterranean through to Central Asia and those from Eastern Asia (Barbanera et al, 2009b). The Himalayas seem to represent some sort of barrier between the two. Naturally A. chukar and A. rufa distributions do not cross, however recently A. chukar has been released for shooting alongside A. rufa in the United Kingdom, France and Italy which has lead to hybridisation in the wild occuring between the two species (Barbanera et al 2005).
Pathway
Alectoris chukar has been introduced to many areas of Europe to help restock levels of game-relatives such as A. rufa (Blanco-Aguiar et al, 2008)
Principal source:
Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) with support from the Overseas Territories Environmental Programme (OTEP) project XOT603, a joint project with the Cayman Islands Government - Department of Environment
Review:
Publication date: 2010-06-08
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Alectoris chukar. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Alectoris+chukar on 18-04-2024.
General Impacts
Alectoris chukar is causing genetic purity issues in A. rufa, a native to the Iberian Peninsula through hybridization (Blanco-Aguiar et al, 2008).
Despite consuming large amounts of exotic plant material within the United States, A. chukar does not seem to spread these species through faecal distribution and thus may actually aid in their control (Larsen et al, 2007).
Management Info
Biological: Due to hybridization that can occur easily between Alectoris chukar and other Alectoris species, identifying populations that are more genetically pure than others is essential for the management of A. chukar. This concept, mentioned by Allendorf & and Luikart (2007; as seen in Barbanera et al, 2009a) was applied in a study by Barbanera et al, (2009a), in which they surveyed populations within the Mediterranean. This process though is applicable world-wide.
It now also seems that the genetic pollution caused by A. chukar is also occuring intra-specifically, as the two clades, one from the Mediterranean and Central Asia and the other from Eastern Asia, seem to be mixing with increased human movement (Barbanera et al, 2009b).
It now also seems that the genetic pollution caused by A. chukar is also occuring intra-specifically, as the two clades, one from the Mediterranean and Central Asia and the other from Eastern Asia, seem to be mixing with increased human movement (Barbanera et al, 2009b).
