Status of rock partridge Alectoris graeca saxatilis in Val Troncea Regional Park (Piedmont, north-west Italy)

Abstract

An eight-year monitoring (2004–2011) of rock partridge Alectoris graeca saxatilis was carried out in Val Troncea Regional Park (Piedmont, north-west Italy). Since 2004, standardized counts were performed by playback technique in order to check out rock partridge presence and spring density (males/surface) within an area of 500 ha. Since 2007, the reproductive success (chicks/adults) was assessed during August and September with pointing dogs within an area variable between 300 and 670 ha. From 2008 to 2011, both the spring density (from 2.3 to 1.2 males/100 ha) and the reproductive success (from 3.6 to 0.3 chicks/adults) decreased, indicating a marked decline in the rock partridge population which appeared to be highly related to an increase in yearly snow cover.