Francolins and Spurfowls - Bird of the Month: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 11:29 am
Let's see how many of these we can find:
Grey-winged Francolin
Shelley's Francolin
Red-winged Francolin
Orange River Francolin
Coqui Francolin
Crested Francolin
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Red-billed Spurfowl
Cape Spurfowl
Natal Spurfowl
Red-necked Spurfowl
Swainson's Spurfowl
Francolins and Spurfowls
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Galliformes are heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game birds. Most are plump-bodied with thick necks and moderately long legs, and have rounded and rather short wings. They do not fly well if at all, but walk and run instead for transportation. These birds vary greatly in size from 12-120 cm. Many adult males have one to several sharp horny spurs on the back of each leg, which they use for fighting. They can be found worldwide and in a variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, and meadows. Male courtship behavior includes elaborate visual displays of plumage. Gallinaceous birds feed on a variety of plant and animal material, which may include fruits, seeds, leaves, shoots, flowers, tubers, roots, insects, snails, worms, lizards, snakes, small rodents, and eggs.
Francolins and Spurfowls are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera, although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. When all are maintained in a single genus, it is the most diverse of the Galliformes, having by far the most members. Francolins are terrestrial (though not flightless) birds that feed on insects, vegetable matter and seeds. Most of the members have a hooked upper beak, tails with fourteen feathers and in many of them the male has spurs on the tarsi.
Of the approximately 40 extant species, 5 are restricted to Asia, while the remaining are restricted to Africa. Several species have been introduced to other parts of the world, notably Hawaii. Twelve of the species which occur in Africa are found in the subcontinental region of southern Africa; of these, seven occur in varying proportions within the political boundaries of Namibia. Six southern African francolins are considered endemic to the subcontinent, of which three are found in Namibia (Hartlaub's Spurfowl, Red-billed Spurfowl, and Orange River Francolin). The Cape Spurfowl, endemic to the Cape Province of South Africa occurs marginally in southern Namibia.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pternistis
Grey-winged Francolin
Shelley's Francolin
Red-winged Francolin
Orange River Francolin
Coqui Francolin
Crested Francolin
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Red-billed Spurfowl
Cape Spurfowl
Natal Spurfowl
Red-necked Spurfowl
Swainson's Spurfowl
Francolins and Spurfowls
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Galliformes are heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game birds. Most are plump-bodied with thick necks and moderately long legs, and have rounded and rather short wings. They do not fly well if at all, but walk and run instead for transportation. These birds vary greatly in size from 12-120 cm. Many adult males have one to several sharp horny spurs on the back of each leg, which they use for fighting. They can be found worldwide and in a variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, and meadows. Male courtship behavior includes elaborate visual displays of plumage. Gallinaceous birds feed on a variety of plant and animal material, which may include fruits, seeds, leaves, shoots, flowers, tubers, roots, insects, snails, worms, lizards, snakes, small rodents, and eggs.
Francolins and Spurfowls are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera, although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. When all are maintained in a single genus, it is the most diverse of the Galliformes, having by far the most members. Francolins are terrestrial (though not flightless) birds that feed on insects, vegetable matter and seeds. Most of the members have a hooked upper beak, tails with fourteen feathers and in many of them the male has spurs on the tarsi.
Of the approximately 40 extant species, 5 are restricted to Asia, while the remaining are restricted to Africa. Several species have been introduced to other parts of the world, notably Hawaii. Twelve of the species which occur in Africa are found in the subcontinental region of southern Africa; of these, seven occur in varying proportions within the political boundaries of Namibia. Six southern African francolins are considered endemic to the subcontinent, of which three are found in Namibia (Hartlaub's Spurfowl, Red-billed Spurfowl, and Orange River Francolin). The Cape Spurfowl, endemic to the Cape Province of South Africa occurs marginally in southern Namibia.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pternistis
