Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca
Rock Partridges in Sicily (whitakeri) and those from elsewhere (orlandoi, saxatilis, graeca) are reciprocally monophyletic in mitochondrial DNA, and significantly differentiated in microsatellites, suggesting long isolation (Lucchini & Randi 1998, Randi et al. 2003, Randi 2006). In contrast, populations in the Appenines (orlandoi), Alps (saxatilis) and Albania and Greece (graeca) show only weak differences suggesting that these populations have been interconnected until recently (Randi et al. 2003, Randi 2006). Morphological differences between whitakeri and mainland Rock Partridges were described by Schiebel (1934), Priolo (1970, 1984) and Corso (2010, 2012). The two groups differ in several morphological characters, but most consistently in the pattern of the uppertail coverts and the upper tail (vermiculated in whitakeri, never so in other Rock Partridges) and the colouration of the undertail-coverts (darker and more saturated in whitakeri) (Corso 2010). There may also be differences in calls but these remain to be documented (Corso 2010). The combined molecular and morphological evidence suggests that Rock Partridge consists of two major lineages that are best treated as separate species:
• Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca (polytypic, with subspecies orlandoi, saxatilis and graeca)
• Sicilian Partridge Alectoris whitakeri (monotypic)
Both species are endemic to the Western Palearctic.
Corso, A. 2010. Sicilian Rock Partridge: Identification and taxonomy. Dutch Birding 32: 79–96.
Corso, A. 2012. Additional comments on Rock Partridge morphology: Alectoris graeca orlandoi. Dutch Birding 34: 97–99.
Lucchini, V. & Randi, E. 1998. Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation and phylogeographic structure of Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca) populations. Heredity 81: 528–536.
Priolo, A. 1970. Affinità della Coturnice (Alectoris graeca) e consequenza dei ripopolamenti effettuati nei distretti da essa abiati ricorrendo alla Coturnice orientale (Alectoris chukar). Riv. Ital. Ornitol. 40: 441–445.
Priolo, A. 1984. Variabilità in Alectoris graeca e descrizione di A. graeca orlandoi subsp. nova degli Appennini. Riv. Ital. Ornitol. 54: 45–76.
Randi, E. 2006. Evolutionary and conservation genetics of the Rock Partridge, Alectoris graeca. Acta Zool. Sin. 52 (Suppl.): 370–374.
Randi, E., Tabarroni, C., Rimondi, S., Lucchini, V. & Sfougaris, A. 2003. Phylogeography of the Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca). Mol. Ecol. 12: 2201–2214.
Schiebel, G. 1934. Alectoris graeca whitakeri subsp. nova, Steinhuhn von Sizilien. Falco 30: 2–3.
