Red-billed spurfowl explained

The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Males are larger, measuring 38cm (15inches) in length and weighing 340g635g, whereas females measure 33cm (13inches) in length and weigh 340g549g. The species has barred underparts (in contrast to the related Natal spurfowl) and a conspicuous yellow eye-ring.^[1]

Taxonomy

The red-billed spurfowl was described in 1838 by the English naturalist George Robert Waterhouse from specimens collected by James Edward Alexander on his expedition to Namaqualand and Damaraland. Waterhouse coined the binomial name Francolinus adspersus and noted that the specimens had come near the Fish River in what is now Namibia.^[2] The specific epithet adspersus is Latin for "sprinkling".^[3] The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.^{[4] [5]} The red-billed spurfowl is considered as monotypic: the proposed subspecies mesicus is not recognised.^[5]

External links

• (Red-billed spurfowl =) red-billed francolin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
• Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the red-billed spurfowl

Notes and References

1. McGowan, P.J.K. & Kirwan, G.M. (2017). Red-billed Francolin (Pternistis adspersus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53412 on 22 May 2017).
2. Book: Alexander, James Edward . James Edward Alexander . An Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa : Through the Hitherto Undescribed Countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras . 1838 . 2 . London . Henry Colburn . Appendix 1: Notice of the objects of natural history collected during the expedition . 259-275 [267] .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . limited . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 32 .
4. Wagler . Johann Georg . Johann Georg Wagler . 1832 . Neue Sippen und Gattungen der Säugthiere und Vögel . Isis von Oken . cols 1218–1235 [1229] . German, Latin .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . 2020 . Pheasants, partridges, francolins . IOC World Bird List Version 10.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 14 February 2020 .