"BHAT" Partridge

[Shamsher]

Dear All

Many years ago when shooting was permitted in india late 60's
& I was a little boy, My father was discussing Bhat partridges with a few friends of his from around Jaisalmer.

What i recollected is.

They fly very low & in speeds exceeding 100 MPH.

They have very short wings & flap very fast.

They are almost twice the size of the regular partridge.

& were very tough game birds.

Brothers - Please educate me more on this topic.

Shamsher

[perazzi]

far as i know sandgrouse in rajasthan is also called "bhat bhat" and imperial sandgrouse is called "gatta"or "bhat"

Rohit

[mundaire]

Rohit is correct, the Chestnut Bellied Sand Grouse is locally called the "Bhat titar". There is a picture here:

http://www.kolkatabirds.com/gujarat/che ... ouse8g.jpg

BTW I would take the 100 MPH claims with a strong dose of salt! The fastest bird on record is the peregrine falcon which reaches horizontal speeds not exceeding 65-68 MPH (105-110 KMPH). However it can dive at speeds reaching up to 99-273 MPH (160-440 KMPH)! Also see http://www.thetravelalmanac.com/lists/birds-speed.htm

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Shamsher]

you both seem to be right,

one more question
Did hunters with shooting permits, pre 1970, take them as a very stiff challenge to bring them down?
Were they the fastest game birds in India?
Shamsher

[perazzi]

Am reasonably sure that you are talking about the Imperial SandGrouse which is a migratory bird with large concentrations in places like Jaislmer (years ago, not sure about now)
Also a very wary and a fast & high flying bird although it would settle down fast enough.
Yes also a very tough bird.

Another bird found in Rajasthan and which is even rarer than the Great Indian Bustard is a bird called a "Tilor"

Cheers Rohit.

[sudhaiob]

no sand grouse can attain nearly double the size of partridges. they are about 39 cms compared to a grey partridge at 34 cms.
regs sudhaiob

[R-Dhillon]

Well in the Malwa region of Punjab thats where I live, I generally get to see brown coloured partriges called ''Batter'' and another relatively larger bird almost double the size called ''Titar''...Both are quite difficult to even observe at close distances as they are really quick and hide or nest in bushes...We do get batter meat from good poultry farms but titar can only be hunted which is banned...yeah that sums up all I know...

[R-Dhillon]

N titars are greyish...we even get ''chakour'' another grey coloured bird with a reddish face...

[mundaire]

Well in the Malwa region of Punjab thats where I live, I generally get to see brown coloured partriges called ''Batter'' and another relatively larger bird almost double the size called ''Titar''...Both are quite difficult to even observe at close distances as they are really quick and hide or nest in bushes...We do get batter meat from good poultry farms but titar can only be hunted which is banned...yeah that sums up all I know...

Bater are quail and the ones available from poultry farms are Japanese quail. Unfortunately the law prohibits the commercial breeding of native quail species

Titar are partridge

[Happy]

Batters usually move around in group of 8-10, where as tittar or patridges usually are loners.
The batters found where i live are usually weighing any where bwtween 50- 100 gms where as the japanese quails weigh around 200gms appx. Tittars weigh around 500 - 600 gms as per my knowledge.
regards
Happy.

[R-Dhillon]

But whats the difference b/w a quail and a japanese quail which one is native??...Chakour is also reffered to as Indian fowl or sumthin...Quails are quite abundant in my fields...get to see titars sumtymes...and I 've also seen some plump looking birds with blue coloured down feathers, dont know what they are??...

[Happy]

the smaller ones are the native and the japanese quails are the ones bred at the poultry farms, which are available in the market.

[Yaj]

tittar or patridges usually are loners.

regards
Happy.

I have observed that the Grey partridge usually are in small groups of 3-5 birds except in the breeding season when they are found in pairs. You will often see the males fighting during this season as they get territorial.
Regards,
Yaj.

[shahid]

Imperial sand grouse difficult to shoot / No not really, the flight is good and challenging but definetely a good quarry for a fine English Sidelock or a modern Beretta O/U.

How difficult is it to shoot ?

Well at Gajner in Bikaner, in a days shoot 4700 odd were shot on day 1 in 1920s where Maharaja Sardul Singhji, of Bikaner, Father of HH Karni Singh accounted for 917 as a personal bag. Next day another 4500 plus birds were shot with the Maharaja shooting another few hundred !

I know of bags in the 90s as well right across the border where the Ambassdors of Egypt, UAE and Kuwait along with a few blooywood babes and visitors to unholy land PAK, and some guests shot over 400 in an hours shoot.

They come to a waterhole before sunset at a particular time and the guns lie in wait.

[ebenezer]

the smaller ones are the native and the japanese quails are the ones bred at the poultry farms, which are available in the market.

I remember a chicken stall owner in Bangalore being arrested for having Japanese quails some months ago. He had bought them from a shop in Hosur. If Japanese quails are meant for breeding, I don't understand why these forest officials arrest people who have them.