Erckel's spurfowl

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Erckel's spurfowl

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Pternistis
Species:
P. erckelii
Binomial name
Pternistis erckelii
(Rüppell, 1835)
   geographic distribution
Synonyms
  • Francolinus erckelii

Erckel's spurfowl (Pternistis erckelii), also known as Erckel's francolin,

game bird in the family Phasianidae
.

Taxonomy

Erckel's spurfowl was described in 1935 by the German naturalist

specific epithet was chosen by Rüppell to honour his assistant, Theodor Erckel (1811–1897), who had helped with the collection of specimens.[3][4] The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.[5][6] Erckel's spurfowl is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[6] A phylogenetic study published in 2019 found that Erckel's spurfowl was most closely related to the Djibouti spurfowl.[7]

Description

At Kauai, Hawaii

The largest African spurfowl,

ear coverts and a single streak of white behind its eye.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Erckel's spurfowl is native to the northern parts of Eritrea and Ethiopia, as well as northeast Sudan.

least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1]

Behavior and ecology

Erckel's spurfowl can hunt alone or in pairs, in scrublands or at the edge of forests. Its diet consists of plants, such as berries, seeds, and shoots, as well as insects. It is frequently inactive, but if threatened it runs up a hill. It produces territorial calls, which consist of 15–20 notes and are made from clifftops and large rocks.[2] The species' vocalizations are frequently repeated over a long period, and have been described as "an insane cackled laughter, speeding towards the end with a bouncing ball pattern".[8] Eggs are laid during the rainy season from April to November, with the exact time depending on the location; they are laid in May and September to November in Ethiopia, while they are laid in April and May in Sudan.[2]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678865A132050815.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f McGowan, P.J.K; Kirwan, G.M.; Boesman, P. (2020). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Erckel's Francolin (Pternistis erckelii)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b Rüppell, Eduard (1835). Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig (in German). Vol. Vögel. Frankfurt am Main: S. Schmerber. pp. 12–13, Plate 6.
  4. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4
    .
  5. ^ Wagler, Johann Georg (1832). "Neue Sippen und Gattungen der Säugthiere und Vögel". Isis von Oken (in German and Latin). cols 1218–1235 [1229].
  6. ^
    Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins"
    . IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  7. ^
    S2CID 195417777
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0713665413
    . Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Erckel's francolin". Hawai`i Birding Trails. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  10. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erckel%27s_spurfowl&oldid=1136202833"