Crested francolin explained

The crested francolin (Ortygornis sephaena) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in southern Africa. One of its subspecies, Ortygornis sephaena rovuma, is sometimes considered a separate species, Kirk's francolin.

Taxonomy

Formerly, the crested francolin was classified in its own genus Dendroperdix, but phylogenetic analysis indicates that it groups with the grey francolin (O. pondicerianus) and swamp francolin (O. gularis). As a result, all three species were reclassified into the genus Ortygornis.^{[1] [2]}

Subspecies

Subspecies include:

• O. s. grantii (Hartlaub, 1866)
• O. s. rovuma (Gray, GR, 1867) - Kirk's francolin
• O. s. spilogaster (Salvadori, 1888)
• O. s. zambesiae (Mackworth-Praed, 1920)
• O. s. sephaena (Smith, A, 1836)

External links

• Crested Francolin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds

Notes and References

1. Mandiwana-Neudani. Tshifhiwa G.. Little. Robin M.. Crowe. Timothy M.. Bowie. Rauri CK. 2019-05-04. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of African spurfowls Galliformes, Phasianidae, Phasianinae, Coturnicini: Pternistis spp.. Ostrich. 90. 2. 145–172. 10.2989/00306525.2019.1584925. 0030-6525.
2. Web site: Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List. 2021-07-14. en-US.