It has a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The shades vary across the various populations. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks, red legs and coral red bill. Sexes are similar, the female slightly smaller in size and lacking the spur. The tail has 14 feathers, the third primary is the longest while the first is level with the fifth and sixth primaries.
This partridge has its native range in Asia, including Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, along the inner ranges of the Western Himalayas to Nepal. The habitat in the native range is rocky open hillsides with grass or scattered scrub or cultivation. They are not found in areas of high humidity or rainfall.
Chukar will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. It also ingests grit. Chukar roost on rocky slopes or under shrubs. A group may roost in a tight circle with their heads pointed outwards to conserve heat and keep a look out for predators.