African Spurfowl
Pternistis
Pternistis is a genus of galliform birds formerly classified in the spurfowl group of the partridge subfamily of the pheasant family. They are described as "partridge-francolins" in literature establishing their phylogenetic placement outside the monophyletic assemblage of true spurfowls. All species are endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, excepted the double-spurred spurfowl (also present in Morocco). They are commonly known as spurfowls or francolins, but are closely related to jungle bush quail, Alectoris rock partridges, and Coturnix quail. The species are strictly monogamous, remaining mated indefinitely. They procure most of their food by digging. Spurfowls subsist almost entirely on roots, beans of leguminous shrubs and trees, tubers, and seeds, and feasting opportunistically on termites, ants, locusts, flowers, and fruit. Important predators are jackals, caracals, servals, and birds of prey, as well as herons and marabou storks.
23 branches of this genus, most-observed first · about 23 known species
Cape Spurfowl
speciesPternistis capensis
Swainson's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis swainsonii
Natal Spurfowl
speciesPternistis natalensis
Red-necked Spurfowl
speciesPternistis afer
Red-billed Spurfowl
speciesPternistis adspersus
Yellow-necked Spurfowl
speciesPternistis leucoscepus
Erckel's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis erckelii
Double-spurred Spurfowl
speciesPternistis bicalcaratus
Gray-breasted Spurfowl
speciesPternistis rufopictus
Hildebrandt's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis hildebrandti
Scaly Spurfowl
speciesPternistis squamatus
Jackson's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis jacksoni
Clapperton's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis clappertoni
Heuglin's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis icterorhynchus
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
speciesPternistis castaneicollis
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis hartlaubi
Handsome Spurfowl
speciesPternistis nobilis
Ahanta Spurfowl
speciesPternistis ahantensis
Harwood's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis harwoodi
Djibouti Spurfowl
speciesPternistis ochropectus
Gray-striped Spurfowl
speciesPternistis griseostriatus
Swierstra's Spurfowl
speciesPternistis swierstrai
Mount Cameroon Spurfowl
speciesPternistis camerunensis
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 343747.