Snow Partridge

Lerwa lerwa (Hodgson, 1833)

Snow Partridge, Lerwa lerwa, is a pheasant in the family Phasianidae that breeds across the Himalayas from Pakistan to c China. It lives in alpine pastures and open grassy hillsides above the tree line, including places with grass, lichens, moss, ferns and rhododendrons. It stays away from the barest, rockiest ground. The sexes look alike in plumage, and the male carries a spur on the tarsus. The species was first described by Hodgson in 1833 and is the only member of its genus.

Order

Galliformes

Family

Phasianidae — Pheasants & Allies

Breeding range

Palearctic: Himalayas to c China