Black Francolin vs Painted Francolin

Black Francolin

Francolinus francolinus

Large452 gShrubland

The black francolin has a length range around 33 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in) and weight about 453 g (16.0 oz). The male is black with a white patch on the cheek, a chestnut collar and white spots on the flanks. The back and wings are scalloped with shades of golden brown with sub-terminal tawny-buff bands and pale edges. The rounded tail is black with narrow white or greyish bars. The legs and neck are reddish-brown to red. The extent of the white spotting on the flanks varies substantially across the species' range and the depth of colour of the females similarly varies. Voice: The call of the black francolin, described as a loud ringing "klik cheek-cheek-cheerakik", "kik-kik-kik" or "kwee-kweeeee-kwee", can be heard in the mornings and evenings and almost all day during the breeding season. The male calls while standing on an earth mound, bund, rock or a low tree branch and is soon joined by other birds answering from all directions.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0

Painted Francolin

Francolinus pictus

Medium287 gGrassland

This species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is distributed patchily from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh south into peninsular India (but not along the Malabar coast and rare south of Coimbatore) and in Sri Lanka. The species interbreeds with the black francolin along its northern and appears similar to the female of that species but has no rufous hindcollar, instead having a bright rufous face and throat. The underside has white spots while the legs are orange-yellow to red. It is more arboreal in its habits than the black francolin. The legs of both sexes have no spurs.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Shantanu Kuveskar · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black Francolin and Painted Francolin.