Chukars are runners more than fliers. They have strong legs and prefer to scuttle across the hillsides on foot. If they get scared, they will run uphill at top speed - they are surprisingly fast - and only fly off as a last resort. When they do fly, it is a short, bursty flight before they land and start running again.
Their name comes from their call. They make a loud, repeated 'chuck-chuck-chukar' sound, especially in the early morning. Local people say you can hear them long before you see them. The bird literally names itself: 'chuk-AR, chuk-AR, chuk-AR'.
Chukars eat seeds, leaves, fresh shoots and a few insects. In autumn, families of chukars - parents and chicks - move around together in small groups called 'coveys'. The grown-ups take turns standing on a high rock to watch out for danger while the others feed.
Mother chukars lay between 8 and 20 eggs at a time, in a little nest hidden under a bush or in long grass. That is a lot of eggs, but a few chicks make it through to grow up. The babies follow mum around like tiny fluffy tennis balls within hours of hatching.