The species is found mainly in low-lying coastal areas but also in wide shallow valleys at altitudes of up to 400 m, up to 20 km inland in Cyprus and 60 km inland in southern Turkey. The species uses agricultural land as well as dense scrub mainly alongside rivers with reeds (Tucker and Heath 1994). In southern Turkey, it breeds from March to May (McGowan and Kirwan 2013). It lays seven to twelve eggs (Harrison and Castell 2002). The nest is a shallow hollow or depression, sometimes lined with a few scraps of plant material and concealed amongst vegetation. It feeds on seeds of grasses, weeds and cereal crops, shoots, leaves, tubers, berries and figs as well as insects. The species is sedentary (Madge and McGowan 2002).

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, the species breeds primarily in Cyprus, Azerbaijan and Turkey, with small numbers in Georgia and Armenia.

Conservation Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex II. In Turkey, the species is fully protected and in Cyprus a ban on hunting was implemented 1984-1985 but this was lifted again after lobbying by the Hunting Association (Tucker and Heath 1994).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Hunting of the species needs to be controlled and it should be added to Appendix II of the Bern Convention (Tucker and Heath 1994). Key areas of suitable habitat should be identified and protected from development and the restoration of low-intensity farming encouraged.