Moslems in West Pakistan say that a gray francolin carries itself 
like a graceful woman. These birds are generally leisurely walkers 
until disturbed. Then they take wing or scurry from bush to bush, es- 
pecially in desert areas, running fast but often pausing under one 
shelter before making a dash for the next. In fact one of our tame grays 
was so quick in movement that, given the run of the house, he made a 
sizeable dent in the fly population by catching flies, even on the wing, 
Gray francolins move further than blacks when liberated in a new 
habitat. Millazzo (36) reports that of the 100 birds released in 1962 
in Smith Valley, Nevada "one pair of birds had moved four miles from the 
release site by the third day, and during the following 26 days a total 
of 8 sightings (mostly pairs) had been made. The greatest movement with- 
in the 26 day period was about 6.5 airline miles with. an average distance 
of 3.7 miles." Some of the grays liberated in 1960 in western Oklahoma 
were seen about 50 miles north of the release site several years later. 
Daily Movement Pattern 
These birds move from their roosts at dawn to fields, stubble, 
ploughed lands or any broken waste, or open pasture preferably where 
there are some shrubs, forbs, weeds and grass. They are also commonly 
seen along paths and roads picking up waste from passing animals. Some- 
times they are reported as following the farmer scraping his fields with 
a steel-shod wooden plow. By the time the dew is dry many are headed 
for thicker resting places such as fields of cotton, wheat, maize, mus- 
tard or sugarcane, Others seek thick, brush clumps. Occasionally, 
though, one finds some birds still in the open under the broiling sun 
of midday. Early in the afternoon, when it is still hot, many return 
to the feeding areas though they are generally less active than in the 
morning. Before sunset they are again on their way to their favorite 
tree or bush to spend the night. 
Flight 
The flight is direct and quite fast. Hume (26) says that they rise 
with a true partridge whirr, that their flight is swifter and stronger 
than that of the Hungarian partridge in England; also that they will 
carry more shot. The grays often seek escape by running and hiding. 
When surprised or pressed, they may fly 200 to 500 feet before alighting 
unless in thick cover when their flight is much shorter. When reflushed, 
the distance covered is usually less than the first flight with the birds 
becoming increasingly difficult to locate. Normally they do much more 
walking than flying. 
Wariness 
As with black francolins, grays are not particularly wary birds 
unless harried or heavily hunted. They are often seen along the roads 
or heard calling close by as one tramps through the scrub. In sparse 
cover, or when chased, they are apt to start running while the pursuer 
is yet 100 to 200 feet distant. But in spring and summer, we have 
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