It seems that outside of the popular carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, partridges may soon cease to exist.
And the fate of turtle doves, which also feature in the yuletide staple, is even worse, according to the RSPB. The organisation, which this year launched the Operation Turtle Dove campaign, claims the decline is nothing short of a 'wildlife disaster'.
We must all do our best to protect these precious English partridge species - this surely can't be their last Christmas?
They really are beautiful birds, as you can see from these pictures I painted of them. They have very delicate, grey plumage, which is so much more subtle than the brighter red-legged French partridges that thrive in their place.
