The Impact of Winter Meteorological Parameters on Abundance of the Grey Partridge Perdix perdix in the Southern Ural Steppe

Abstract

In the winter periods from 1994 to 2017, the grey partridge average abundance in the steppe zone of the southern Urals was significantly negatively correlated with some meteorological parameters (the snow cover height, precipitations, snow density). At the same time, in the subsequent summer period, these winter parameters (including the mean air temperature) had no influence on the bird number. Indeed, the harsh and snowy winters did not affect the grey partridge abundance in the reproductive period. We believe that migrations from the breeding area or nomadic movements of these birds occurred in the most extreme winters.