- Pternistis erckelii
Identification
28-45cm.
- Black forehead
- Black stripe above eye
- Chestnut crown
- Dark grey cheeks
- Light buff throat
- Grey brown neck, breast and back with chestnut streaks
- Black bill
- Dark grey-yellow legs and feet
- Males have two sets of spurs
Distribution
Africa: Native to northeastern Sudan, and highlands of northern Eritrea and northwestern Ethiopia, but introduced to several parts of the World, including Italy and Hawaii.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Francolinus.
Habitat
Scrub-covered hillsides, streamside woods and mountain grasslands at 2000 - 3500m altitude in its native range.
Behaviour
Breeding
The 7-12 spotted eggs are incubated for 21 to 23 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- thebigzoo
- gbwf.org
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Erckel's Francolin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Erckel%27s_Francolin
