A Cloud of Small Chickens !!

Driving down Third Line Road South (Rideau Township) at dawn, near Steven Creek I saw what at first looked like ducklings, and when approaching I flushed a covey of more than a dozen small chicken-like birds. The only indigenous and wild chicken-like bird I know of around here is the ruffed grouse [Bonasa Umbellus] http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=62 which are also at home in our woodlot. After discussions with more informed family members it turns out that it is most likely the Hungarian partridge [Perdrix perdrix]. The ruffed grouse does not flock like these birds did.