
Table 3 -- Range of average maximum and average minimum temperatures 
in red-legged partridge habitat in Spain by seasons, 1930-50 (a). 

Spain 
Season* Southern Central Northern 
Av .Max. Av .Min. Av .Max, Av .Min. Av.Max. ° Av.Min. 
Winter 54-64 36-44 47-57 29-35 42-51 28-33 
Spring 63-79 41-56 56-73 35-50 53-68 35-46 
Summer ' 86-98 60-68 78-93 52-63 73-87 50-57 
Fall 62-90 43-64 55-83 35-58 50-77 35-54 
*Winter, December-February; Spring, March-May; Summer, June-August; Fall, 
September-November. 
Probably the most critical time for birds is the brood 
period. Average maximum temperatures for May vary from 64 to 79 degrees 
in areas of partridge abundance in Spain. 
For those who are considering trial introductions of the 
Spanish redleg into a given locality, figure 10 presents the average 
maximum and minimum temperatures in relation to precipitation for red- 
legged partridge habitats in Spain. Three usually critical months, 
January, May, and July are singled out for attention. One can plot on 
this figure the average maximum and minimum temperatures in relation to 
precipitation for these months from the weather records available from 
as many weather stations as possible in the locality under consideration. 
If the plottings fall within or adjacent to the curves here given it 
indicates that, climatewise, the locality might well be favorable for 
Spanish red-legged partridges. If the area under consideration has 
somewhat more precipitation with temperatures somewhat lower considera- 
tion might well be given to introducing birds from France or England 
rather than those from Spain. 
Extremes -- Spanish partridges are not accustomed to as 
great extremes in temperature as are their French cousins. Over most 
of the redleg range in the Iberian Peninsula, winter temperatures seldom 
fall much below freezing during the day. Periods of a week in which 
night temperatures fall to 20-30° are not uncommon in northern Spain, 
and even in Madrid the ground has remained frozen for 2 weeks at a time 
and a minimum of 10 degrees has been recorded. That birds in good con- 
dition, penned and exposed to these conditions, did not suffer from the 
cold is evidenced by their disregard for warming infrared lights hung 
in each pen, while birds in poor condition clustered around them. 
(a) Unpublished records of the Servicio Meterologico Nacional in Madrid. 
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