This species occurs on arid and semi-arid rocky slopes and hillsides with low vegetation cover and occasional stunted trees and bushes (Watson 1962, Papaevangelou 1980, Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It is found mainly between 500 and 1,500 m, but ranges down to 200 m during foraging trips, when it also occurs on agricultural land (Pantelis 1980, Papaevangelou 1980, Serez 1992, Khan et al. 2009, Aspinall and Porter 2011). There is little known about the diet of the species in the UAE, but individuals in Musandam (Oman) have been observed feeding on berries (Jennings 2010). Elsewhere in the Middle East, the species also takes seeds of grasses and weeds, leaves and insects (Jennings 2010). Availability of water influences population density, even though birds will move up to 10 km to access water (Watson 1962), and likely limits a range expansion in eastern Arabia (Jennings 2010). There is no information available on the breeding behaviour of the species in the UAE. In Musandam (Oman), nests were made of twigs and placed in shallow depressions on gravelly ground, hidden under bushes at the edge of cultivated or grassy fields (Jennings 2010). These nests contained eggs in February and March, while juveniles were recorded in June (Jennings 2010). It is unclear if there is competition for feeding sources and nesting sites with Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi (Jennings 2010).