Djibouti spurfowl
Djibouti spurfowl | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Galliformes |
Family: | Phasianidae |
Genus: | Pternistis |
Species: | P. ochropectus
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Binomial name | |
Pternistis ochropectus | |
geographic distribution
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Synonyms | |
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The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (Pternistis ochropectus) is a bird species in the pheasant family,
Its natural
Taxonomy
Birds in the family Phasianidae, such as the Djibouti spurfowl, are Old World ground-dwelling gamefowl, many of which are found in forest.[2] African spurfowls are placed in the genus Pternistis. They are terrestrial birds that feed on insects, vegetable matter, and seeds. Most species have a hooked upper beak, tails with fourteen feathers, and in many of them the male has tarsal spurs.[3]
The Djibouti spurfowl was originally collected on February 22, 1952, by Captain Albospeyre, the military commander of Tadjoura in the Forêt du Day.[4] It was then described by French ornithologists Jean Dorst and Christian Jouanin later that year as Francolinus ochropectus in L'Oiseau et la Revue française d'Ornithologie.[5] Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek ochros, which means "ochre",[6] and the Latin pectus, meaning "breast".[7] The Djibouti spurfowl is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.[8][9]
The distinctness of this species has been described as weak by some authors,
This species has formerly been named as the ochre-breasted francolin, the Tadjoura francolin, and the pale-bellied francolin.[13] To the native people of Djibouti, it is known as the kukaaqe.[14]
Description
This spurfowl is a large, rotund bird of approximately 35 cm (1.15 ft) in length and 940 g (33 oz) in weight.[15][16] It is grayish-brown overall with white stripes and streaks on its underparts which become finer toward the head.[15] The bird is darker on its back than on its underside.[16] The nape has a hint of rufous, while the top of the head is gray.[15] The forehead, lore, and eye stripe form a black mask,[16] and the chin and throat are whitish.[16] The eyes are brown.[17] The feathers on the body and neck have a gold or straw-colored center that is bordered with dark brown and edged in white.[16] The tail is short.[15] The bill is black with some yellow on the lower mandible, and the Djibouti spurfowl's legs are a greenish-yellow.[15]
The sexes are similar, although the male averages slightly larger than the female and has two prominent spurs on the legs, whereas the female is virtually unspurred.[18] The female also has more rufous in its tail.[17] The juvenile resembles the adults, but is duller, with buff barring, rather than streaking, on the underparts.[18]
The call of this species is a rattling erk erk erk-kkkkkkkk that descends into a chuckling gurgle.[15] Feeding birds may give a low conversational clucking.[18]
No other spurfowl share this bird's restricted range (although the yellow-necked spurfowl occurs elsewhere in Djibouti) so it is unlikely to be confused with any other species.[18]
Distribution and habitat
The Djibouti spurfowl is endemic to Djibouti, a nation in eastern Africa, and is known from only two locations. One is the Forêt du Day in the Goda Mountains, approximately 25 km (16 mi) north of the Gulf of Tadjoura.[19] This site is only 15 km2 (3,700 acres) and is undergoing habitat changes.[4] The other site is located in the Mabla Mountains, which are 80 km (50 mi) northeast of the Forêt du Day and remain unsurveyed.[19][4] This site has been exposed to more human disturbance than the Forêt du Day, and is therefore considered less viable.[2] Combined, the total estimated range of this bird is 58 km2 (14,000 acres).[15]
This spurfowl prefers dense
Ecology and behavior
This species lives in small groups and is very shy, often remaining in dense vegetation to avoid detection,[20] and therefore its ecology is very little studied.[2] It is believed that the spurfowl may migrate from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and juniper forest in the warmer months.[19] Its main predator is the common genet.[17] The bird is most active and most likely to call between 6 am and 9 am.[2] After this it may spend most of the day perched motionless in a tree up to 4 m (13 ft) above the ground.[17] It eats berries, seeds, termites and figs.[4] It scratches the ground to collect seeds and, when it finds an area disturbed by warthogs, also scratches the ground for termites.[17] It is monogamous and breeds between December and February.[4]
Only one nest has been recorded; this was located on a mountain ledge, and was a shallow grass-lined depression in the earth.[4] These birds roost in nearby trees at heights of 5 to 8 m (16 to 26 ft).[16] It is probably monogamous, and local people say that the clutch is typically 7–9 eggs, but this is unconfirmed.[18]
Conservation
This species is considered
This species is threatened because of
In 1937, part of the Forêt du Day site was set aside as Day Forest National Park; this designation is no longer valid.[4] There have been studies of the area and the related environmental and economic issues involved; very few of the suggestions made by these surveys have been implemented, partially due to the unrest in Djibouti since the early 1990s.[4] In May 2008, 1,000 km2 (250,000 acres) of forest near the village of Day were set aside for a tree nursery in an attempt to restore some of the spurfowl's damaged habitat.[20] Surveys are under way to determine population sizes and current range, including plans to survey the largely unknown site in the Mabla Mountains and potentially suitable areas in between the two known sites.[15] A promotional campaign in local schools took place in 2008 to raise awareness for the species.[20]
Relationship with humans
The majority of native people in areas surrounding the spurfowl's range believe that the species is important, either because of its meat, which may be eaten by the Muslims who comprise the predominant religious group of the region, or because it is part of the natural heritage of the region.[2] While the species is rarely eaten today due to its rarity, decades ago the species was so common that it was easily captured when it approached nearby villages.[2]
The Djibouti spurfowl has been featured on two stamps: one in 1989 from Djibouti, and another from the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, which was what Djibouti was known as under French rule, in 1972.[23]
References
Citations
- . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Fisher, Zomo Sikander Yusuf (September 2007). "The decline of the Djibouti francolin and juniper woodland in the Forêt du Day, Djibouti: A response to climate changes and grazing pressure?" (PDF). World Pheasant Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
- ^ B. P. Hall (1963) "The Francolins, a study in speciation." (PDF) Bulletin of the British Museum 10(2):105-204
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9552607-3-5.
- ^ a b Urban 1986, p. 65
- ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
- ISBN 0-304-52257-0.
- ^ Wagler, Johann Georg (1832). "Neue Sippen und Gattungen der Säugthiere und Vögel". Isis von Oken (in German and Latin). cols 1218–1235 [1229].
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ a b c "Djibouti Francolin (Francolinus ochropectus)". The Internet Bird Collection. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9.
- S2CID 195417777.
- ISBN 0-300-04969-2.
- ^ a b Bealey, Clive (November 2006). "Djibouti francolin conservation project second phase 2006" (PDF). World Pheasant Association. Retrieved 2008-12-31.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Species factsheet: Francolinus ochropectus". BirdLife International. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ ISBN 0-7614-7199-5.
- ^ a b c d e Urban 1986, p. 66
- ^ ISBN 0-7136-3966-0.
- ^ a b c d e Bealey, Clive (September 2004). "Djibouti francolin conservation project report on first phase 2004" (PDF). World Pheasant Association. Retrieved 2008-12-31.[dead link]
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9552607-5-9.
- ^ a b "Conservation of the Djibouti Francolin". Conservation des Espèces et des Populations Animales. Archived from the original on 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
- ^ a b "Management planning for the Djibouti francolin". World Pheasant Association. 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ "Djibouti Francolin Stamps". Bird Stamps. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
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Cited texts
- Urban, Emil K; C. Hilary Fry; Stuart Keith (1986). The Birds of Africa Volume II. London: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-137302-9.
Other sources
- Blot, J (1985). "Contribution to our knowledge of the biology and ecology of the pale-bellied Francolin Francolinus ochropectus Dorst and Jouanin". Alauda. 63(4):244-256.
- Fisher, Zomo S. Y.; Samantha Cartwright, Clive Bealey, Houssein A. Rayaleh, Philip McGowan and E. J. Milner-Gulland (2009). "The Djibouti francolin and juniper forest in Djibouti: the need for both ecosystem and species-specific conservation". Oryx 43:542-551
External links
- Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the Djibouti spurfowl
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Pictures of Djibouti francolin and habitat