letting nature back in

Spurfowls, like francolins, are part of the pheasant family. Their name comes from the tarsal (leg) spurs that are especially evident in the males. All 23 species of spurfowls are endemic to the African continent, with 6 species occurring in southern Africa.

Previously, spurfowls and francolins were lumped together and were generally referred to as francolins. In the early 2000s, as more genetic and behavioural characteristics became known, ornithologists decided that it made sense to split spurfowls (now in the genus Pternistis) from the smaller francolins.

Spurfowls are more prone to sit tight or else run rather than fly when alarmed, and they perch in branches off the ground at night, whereas true francolins are more likely to take flight when startled and most francolin species rest on the ground. The crested francolin that featured in the previous post, confusingly, shares some characteristics associated with spurfowls, but is an exception among the southern African francolins.

Loud grating calls are characteristic of spurfowls, compared to the softer and less harsh calls of the true francolins. The header photo shows a Swainson’s spurfowl calling its repetitive harsh crowing sound early one morning.

Swainson’s spurfowl

The long backward-facing leg spurs of a Swainson’s spurfowl are visible in the above photo. The spurs are used in courtship fights and as a defence against predators. The spurs wear down as a bird ages. Females often do not have leg spurs, and if they do the spurs are very much smaller than in the males.

The easiest way to distinguish the Swainson’s spurfowl from other spurfowls is the combination of red face and throat with the black legs. The above photo of a Swainson’s spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii) was taken in the Kruger National Park.

The range of the red-necked spurfowl extends northwards into parts of central Africa, whereas the Swainson’s spurfowl is confined more to southern Africa, as far north as Zambia. Both species are absent from the Western Cape, but their ranges overlap in the inland regions of eastern South Africa where they occupy distinct habitats

This Swainson’s spurfowl, in the above photo, we saw walking rather jauntily beside the road in Kruger National Park, where it is not unusual to see spurfowls foraging along the road sides. Spurfowls generally are omnivorous feeders, feeding mostly on plant material, including roots, bulbs, small fruits, shoots, seeds and grain, supplemented in the summer by a variety of invertebrates.

In addition to the eye-catchingly red bare skin on the face and throat, the Swainson’s spurfowl is indeed a bird of fine feathers.

This male Swainson’s francolin has found a slightly elevated place from which to call. Like other spurfowls species, they call most often at dawn and dusk. To listen to recordings of the calls of southern African spurfowls and francolins click here.

Of the six species of southern African spurfowl, the only species that I do not include in this post is the Hartlaub’s spurfowl (Pternistis hartlaubi) that also occurs in drier country, specifically in Namibia and southern Angola.

Natal spurfowl

The Natal spurfowl (Pternistis natalensis) occurs in the eastern regions of southern Africa extending as far north as south eastern Zambia. Unlike several other species of spurfowl, it does not have any bare skin on the head or face.

Natal spurfowls thrive in a variety of habitats with a mix of open ground and dense vegetation that provides adequate cover, such as in woodland, savannah and coastal forest. They are often found close to water or water courses. Their highly patterned plumage provides excellent camouflage.

The Natal spurfowl has a distinctive yellow and red-orange bill and orange legs. Like other spurfowls it is a ground forager with an omnivorous diet. They form monogamous breeding pairs and move around in pairs or small family groups.

We thought that this bird (above), seen in Kruger National Park, was resting in the shade and avoiding the hot sunshine rather than that it was sitting on a nest, although they are ground nesters. Their nests are little more than a lined scrape on the ground. Natal spurfowls are mostly quite shy birds, retreating to cover when they see a perceived threat.

Rather than sheltering from the heat, this rather subdued-looking Natal spurfowl is fluffed up to keep warm on a cool and damp morning at Kruger National Park.

Cape spurfowl

The Cape spurfowl (Pternistis capensis) is the largest of the spurfowls in southern Africa. It is endemic to the Western Cape into the Eastern Cape and southern Namibia. In many parts of the Western Cape, it has adapted well to areas of human habitation and can even be found in the suburbs, such as this one (above) foraging in a suburban garden. They are also adapted to fynbos, strandveld, renosterveld, farms and fields and riverine scrub.

Typically, spurfowls move around in pairs or small family groups. In the above photo, a family of Cape spurfowls is making its way through a backyard in a greenbelt suburb in the Overberg in the Western Cape.

Like the Natal spurfowl, the Cape spurfowl does not have bare skin on the face or throat. Their plumage is marked in fine detail, giving the appearance of each feather being separately defined.

When startled this group of Cape spurfowls started running rather than taking to the wing, behaviour typical of spurfowls in general. Spurfowls can sprint at an astonishing rate when they feel the need.

The species that the Cape spurfowl most resembles is the slightly smaller Natal spurfowl, but their ranges do not overlap. The Cape spurfowl’s range does overlap with the red-necked spurfowl, but the species are easy to tell apart as the Cape spurfowl does not have the red throat, bare facial skin or the red bill of the red-necked spurfowl.

Although they are not immune to threats that include habitat loss, hunting pressure and wildfires, happily, all six species of spurfowl that occur in southern Africa have the conservation status of Least Concern.

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Sources:

🔖Iziko Museums of South Africa. [n.d.] Family: Phasianidae (partridges, francolins, spurfowls and quail). Biodiversity Explorer: The web of life in southern Africa https://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/birds/phasianidae/index.htm 🔖Labuscagne, Lize. [n.d.] Cape Spurfowl. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). https://www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/cape-spurfowl/ 🔖Little, Rob. 2020. Elevating gamebirds: New francolin and spurfowl taxonomy. African Birdlife. March/April, pp. 50-53. https://science.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/content_migration/science_uct_ac_za/925/files/AB08%25283%252950-53.pdf 🔖Peacock, Faansie/Firefinch App. [n.d.] Alarm Clocks of the Bush (Spurfowl and Francolin Calls). https://faansiepeacock.com/francolins/

Posted by Carol