ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT BIRD: CHUKAR PARTRIDGE (ALECTORIS CHUKAR)SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION, BREEDING ECOLOGY, AND RISKS TO ITS POPULATION IN DIR LOWER, PAKISTAN

The Alectoris chukor is a widely occurring game bird and inhabits green bushy areas at high altitudes for nesting. Due to extensive hunting, this amazing creature is threatened, which may lead to it becoming an endangered species in the future. The current study aimed to evaluate the spatial distribution and breeding ecology of A. Chukor and the associated risks to its population in different regions of Dir Lower. The data was collected in terms of the number of calls, clutch size, hatching success, total calls, and field setting in two consecutive visits to the field each month. From the result, it is indicated that the highest total calls (72 calls) were observed at Lalqila, and hatching success was 90%. Similarly, the highest clutch size was 116 in the Timergara region of the study area. And highest. The highest calling frequency was observed during February to April. Similarly, a higher number of calls was also observed during June to July. The risk to the concerned bird population was investigated through a survey questionnaire from the local people of the study area. Most of the people showed that habitat destruction and illegal hunting are the main risks to the bird population in the study area. Among the risks, food scarcity was found to be a major risk for the birds concerned. Wildlife birds such as chukar play a vital role in controlling pest populations; however, the extensive hunting of birds may lead to extinction. It is therefore recommended that the wildlife department act against these harmful activities to conserve the bird population in the study area.