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CHUKAR HABITAT - TERRAIN
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Chukars
are where you find them. It is sometimes puzzling to find chukars in territory that isn't very appealing. Equally puzzling, but significantly more exasperating, is the absence of chukars in prime looking real estate. Experienced chukar hunters can quickly categorize the haves and have nots ... as in "has chukars" and "has no chukars". Sometimes, though, we get surprised. A bit of
Chukars are particular about the terrain they inhabit. Think of it this way: good habitat always has an escape route. Chukars are the gangsters of Audubon's society, requiring a convenient trap door at each of their their favorite hangouts. Their preferred terrain features broken lines, canyons, and sufficient verticality, all of which aid in escape. Broken terrain offers folds, drainages, and abrupt elevation changes that give birds an advantage during flight. Chukars almost always use elevation to gain airspeed during flight. This has led to a widely held belief that chukars always fly downhill. True statement -- to a point. The deceptive part of this maxim is that chukars don't fly straight downhill. Instead, they use altitude to gain speed before they turn side-hill in search of escape cover. This is where broken terrain comes in. Like all upland birds, chukars seek protective cover after a flush. Their patented evasive maneuver involves diving into a fold or canyon, out of sight of pursuers. The bottoms of a drainages often have brushy patches and boulder fields ... perfect hiding spots for a chukar. When sizing up a prospective covert, look for hillsides that feature multiple folds, drainages, and other breaks in the landscape. A long, unbroken slope is not appealing to these birds. Chukars love canyons. These steep, rocky, and often impenetrable holes in the earth offer excellent cover from pursuit and weather. Where I hunt, there are several steep canyons that offer no opportunity of pursuit. When birds go in, I don't follow. In the words of my father, "they have a home in there". Verticality is likely the most prominent (and loathed) aspect of chukar habitat. These birds depend on rapid flight to escape predators -- altitude gives them the edge they need. This explains why chukars run up hill. When being pursued, a covey of chukars seeks altitude to make their eventual flight as quick and effective as possible. Late in the season, chukars prefer to loaf within an easy stroll of a severe drop in elevation. This is one reason rimrock holds a prominent place in chukar lore. The birds are particulary drawn to these clifflike features and use the sharp elevation drop to quickly evade pursuers. It would be great if chukars enjoyed more hospitable terrain. Great for us, that is. Broken lines, deep canyons, and extreme verticality are critical to their survival. They appear to be completely unconcerned with our survival. |
