Ortygornis
| Ortygornis | |
|---|---|
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O. pondicerianus
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Gallini |
| Genus: | Ortygornis Reichenbach, 1852 |
| Type species | |
| Tetrao pondicerianus (grey francolin) Gmelin, SF, 1789
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| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Ortygornis is a genus of birds in the francolin group of the family Phasianidae.
Taxonomy
The genus Ortygornis was introduced in 1852 by the German naturalist Ludwig Kaiser to accommodate a single species, the grey francolin, which is therefore the type species.[1] The name combines the Ancient Greek ortux meaning "quail" with ornis meaning "bird".[2]
The genus now contains three species, one found in Sub-Saharan Africa and two found South Asia (with one also being found in Iran). The species are:[3]
| Image | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Crested francolin | Ortygornis sephaena | southern Africa. |
 |
Grey francolin | Ortygornis pondicerianus | India and Iran. |
 |
Swamp francolin | Ortygornis gularis | the Himalayas in northern India and Nepal. |
Of the three species, the crested francolin was formerly placed in its own monotypic genus, Dendroperdix, while the two Asian species were formerly placed in Francolinus. Phylogenetic analyses support these three species grouping together as a distinct clade.[4][5]
References
- ISBN 978-0-9568611-1-5.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- S2CID 195417777.
- S2CID 231963063.