Saudi Arabia Advances Native Bird Conservation with Milestone in Partridge Breeding Program

RIYADH, RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, May 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As part of Saudi Arabia’s expanding efforts to restore native bird populations and enhance habitat resilience, the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has announced major progress in its partridge breeding program. This initiative forms part of the Kingdom’s broader strategy to conserve native and migratory birds, restore degraded habitats, and contribute to global biodiversity targets.

Led by the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center, the program focuses on four partridge species native to Saudi Arabia’s mountainous and arid regions. These birds are not only ecologically important—supporting local food webs and vegetation health—but also serve as natural indicators of habitat quality.

This season’s results include:

Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar):
Found in the Kingdom’s northwestern highlands; 516 eggs were collected, resulting in 176 chicks.
Arabian Partridge (Alectoris melanocephala):
Endemic to western mountain ranges; 36 eggs yielded 22 chicks.
Philby’s Partridge (Alectoris philbyi):
Inhabits the high-altitude terraces of southwestern Saudi Arabia; breeding efforts continued successfully.
Sand Partridge (Ammoperdix heyi):
Native to desert plateaus and rocky valleys; this species is a key part of the desert ecosystem and is also under active monitoring and captive breeding, with encouraging early results this season.
The program is part of a growing portfolio of national initiatives aimed at conserving bird species—from partridges to globally threatened raptors and migratory waterbirds. It also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Saudi Green Initiative, and the Global 30x30 biodiversity goal, which aims to protect 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.

Through these actions, the Kingdom continues to build its leadership in conservation across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

Kenana Dahlan
National Center for Wildlife
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.