Who else but the French could be to blame for imperilling this British tradition. The grey partridge’s natural habitats on the sceptred isle are threatened, and game hunters there have recently been taking aim at birds imported from across the Channel. This year, however, the risk of h5n1-contaminated partridge stocks in France has triggered a bird-farming binge in the UK. Whether there will be sufficient feathered targets to satisfy the shooters remains to be seen. If not, expect the English to flip a few birds back at the French.
