Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is in the Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies family (Phasianidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 4,499 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Chukar: observations by month (U.S.)
About Chukar
The chukar partridge or chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the rock partridge, Philby's partridge and Przevalski's partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first. This partridge has well marked black and white bars on the flanks and a black band running from the forehead across the eye and running down the head to...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Chukar by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 916 | September | Aug–Jul |
| California | 718 | May | Mar–Jul |
| Utah | 595 | May | Feb–Oct |
| Oregon | 428 | April | Mar–Sep |
| Washington | 343 | April | Mar–Jul |
| Idaho | 266 | June | Mar–Sep |
| Nevada | 255 | June | Mar–Nov |
| Pennsylvania | 143 | August | Mar–Oct |
| Colorado | 136 | May | Mar–Jul |
| New York | 112 | July | Mar–Oct |
| Texas | 72 | April | Oct–May |
| Minnesota | 53 | September | Sep–Sep |
| Wyoming | 52 | October | Feb–Oct |
| Massachusetts | 33 | August | Apr–Aug |
| New Jersey | 33 | October | Sep–Oct |
| Montana | 28 | May | Mar–Jul |
| Ohio | 28 | October | Mar–Oct |
| Arizona | 27 | February | Jan–Feb |
| Maryland | 23 | April | Feb–Aug |
| Virginia | 22 | October | Sep–Nov |
| New Hampshire | 17 | May | May–Jun |
| South Dakota | 17 | July | Apr–Jul |
| Alaska | 16 | May | May–Oct |
| Illinois | 16 | April | Apr–Jun |
| North Dakota | 16 | March | Jan–Sep |
| Wisconsin | 16 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Connecticut | 15 | June | Apr–Jun |
| Michigan | 14 | June | Apr–Jul |
| Vermont | 14 | June | May–Jun |
| Missouri | 10 | February | Feb–Mar |
| Nebraska | 9 | September | Jul–Nov |
| Maine | 8 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Kansas | 7 | November | Oct–Dec |
| New Mexico | 6 | September | Aug–Sep |
| North Carolina | 6 | March | Mar–Mar |
| Rhode Island | 6 | May | Apr–Jun |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
Wild Turkey
Indian Peafowl
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
Dusky Grouse
Sooty Grouse
Greater Sage-Grouse
Spruce Grouse
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chukar?
Nationally, May has the most observations, with the main season from January to November.
Where is Chukar most often seen?
The most observations come from Hawaii, California, Utah.