This species utilises a variety of habitats and different altitudes, up to 3000 m in the Alps and almost down to sea level in Sicily and Greece. Generally they prefer open, mountain habitats with grassy patches, low scrub or scattered conifers (Griffin 2011). Winter flocks begin to break up from February and territories are established March to April with eggs laid from mid-May to June in the Alps and late-April to June in Greece. It is normally monogamous, forming long-term pair-bonds although some instances of successive bigamy and some exchange of partners have been reported. The nest site, believed to be chosen by the male, is a scrape excavated by the female. Clutches are normally eight to fourteen eggs. It is predominantly vegetarian, eating seeds, fruits and green material, but also some terrestrial invertebrates. Chicks, and females in spring, consume relatively high proportions of invertebrates, mainly adult and larval insects. Foraging continues day-round in winter, but is concentrated in the early morning and late afternoon in summer. This species is sedentary however, altitudinal movements are reported in mountain breeding areas, initially moving higher immediately post-breeding, then lower as winter advances. Birds may remain at breeding altitude of 1,900–2,700 m in winter, if snowfall is not too heavy (McGowan and Kirwan 2014).

Although the generation length for both EU and Europe regional assessments were calculated using the same methodology, new information arriving after the EU assessments were undertaken gave rise to an update in the generation lengths. This new information was then used for the Europe level assessments giving rise to a difference between the generation lengths used for the EU and Europe regions.

In Europe, this species breeds notably in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.

Conservation Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex I and II. The species is classified as Threatened or Near Threatened in Red Data Books in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy and Switzerland.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct surveys to determine population size and trends across the species's range. Improve knowledge on the effects of hunting on the species. Implement measures to reduce abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral activities. Safeguard the species's habitat. Improve legislation and enforcement to reduce unsustainable hunting and poaching. Investigate hybridisation with captive-bred A. chukar and A. rufa and pathogen and parasite transfer from these species.