We investigated spacing patterns of Pyrenean grey partridges Perdix perdix hispa niensis during the breeding season (March-September) to refine our recommendations concerning restoration of nesting and brood rearing habitats. The study was based on 30 grey partridges, 24 yearlings (9 males, five females) and six adults (five males, one female) radio-monitored in two study areas of the eastern Pyrenees. Movements and home ranges were analysed for the pre-and posthatching periods. For each bird and period, we used cluster analysis to identify core areas within home ranges. Throughout the breeding season, 24 of the 30 birds were paired and six yearling males remained unpaired. The latter used larger home ranges than paired birds, at least before hatching. The home-range size (Minimum Convex Polygon) of the 24 pairs averaged 8 ha in spring (from pair formation to hatching) and 26 ha in summer (brood-rearing period). Pairs tended to use larger core areas after hatching (mean = 0.8 ha) than before (mean = 6.2 ha). After hatching, broodless pairs used larger core areas (mean = 4.4 ha) than those with broods (mean = 8.7 ha). For both groups, we found little overlap between core areas used before and after hatching. For unsuccessful breeders, the small overlap was associated with post-breeding movements to higher altitudes. For successful breeders, it was related to movements to brood rearing habitat. Daily inter-fix distances of broods averaged 26 m during the first three weeks after hatching, then regularly increased up to 249 m as chicks exceeded the age of six weeks. The size of core areas used by broods indicates that treatment plots should cover 5-0 ha to restore breeding habitats with a diversity of shrubland vegetation types.

We investigated the effects of winter controlled burning on the breeding habitat of the Pyrenean gray partridge (Per&.x per& hispuniensis Reich.). Floristic composition and vegetation structure were sampled on 198 sites, including 64 recently used by hens for nesting or rearing of broods, 80 within partridge habitat burned under dry conditions, and 44 burned under wet conditions. During the early breeding season, birds selected shrubhmds of broom (Cytius purgans (L.) Boiss.) with an average canopy coverage of 60% and an average height of 0.50 m. Birds avoided sites where shrub cover was more than 80% or less than 20%. The most critical effect of burning on gray partridge brood habitat was the reduction of the cover in the 2 vegetation layers providing protection against predators (0.05-0.25 m, and 0.25-0.50 m). In the case of "dry burning", the recovery of suitable habitat took more than 8 years for nesting hens and flightless chicks, but only 5-6 years for broods older than 3 weeks. Data obtained by radio-tracking eight broods indicated that "wet burns" (mean size = 4 ha) were better than "dry burns" (mean size = 15 ha) for maintaining good brood habitat. For the "dry burns", we recommend that burned patches be equal to or less than 5 ha and separated by unburned patches of lo-15 ha. In both cases, the frequency of fms should not exceed once every 15-20 years.