Hildebrandt's Spurfowl
Pternistis hildebrandti
Mid-sized francolin in which males and females are strikingly different. Males have a brown back and are boldly marked with black and white below. The smaller female is plainer, with rufous underparts. Found locally in a wide variety of habitats, including grassland, savanna, montane heath, and forest edge. Usually in pairs or small groups. The call is a quick series of raucous notes.
Taxonomy
Hildebrandt's spurfowl was described in 1878 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis based on specimens collected by the zoologist Johann Maria Hildebrandt in the Taita–Taveta County of Kenya. Cabanis honoured Hildebrandt and coined the scientific name Francolinus (Scleroptera) hildebrandti. The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. A phylogenetic study published in 2019 found that Hildebrandt's spurfowl is sister to the Natal spurfowl.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Pternistis hildebrandti
- Authority
- (Cabanis, 1878)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Pternistis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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