Diet of Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) in nature

The aim of this work is to study the components and the chemical composition of the natural diet of wild Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) at the beginning of autumn in Sardinia (Italy). The work was carried on the content of ingluvies, stomach and hind gut of 75 animals, which were shot down during the hunting season of the years 1998, 1999 and 2000. Nearly in 50% of the cases the vegetation of the shooting area was represented by the Mediterranean maquis. The content of the viscera was analysed with a magnifying glass (10X) to identify the origin and type of food. Dry matter, gross protein, ether extract, NDF and ash were determined. The self-sown vegetation and types of cultivation of the hunting areas were registered for each partridge shot down. Green leaves, blades and seeds of grasses, some berries, siliqua and sometimes invertebrates or their parts resulted the most representative feeds found in the ingluvies and stomach content. The chemical composition of the diet resulted characterised by a limited content of crude protein (7.1% D. M.) and by rather high concentration of NDF (22% D. M.). The values of these two parameters are very different from those of the commercial feeds, which are utilised for the captive breeding even in the same period (autumn and winter), when the animals are not in reproductive activity.