Painted Francolin

Francolinus pictus

Least ConcernRarePlantsGrasslandScrapeMedium · 287 g

About the Painted Francolin

The painted francolin or painted partridge is a species of francolin found in grassy areas in central and southern India and in the lowlands of southeastern Sri Lanka. Thomas C. Jerdon noted that the species was found mainly in Central India south of the Narmada and to the east of the Western Ghats as well as the Chota Nagpur and Northern Circars. It partly overlaps with the black francolin with which it partly overlaps and is said to sometimes hybridize. This species can be so distinguished from a black francolin female by the lack of a rufous hind collar and the white spots on the underside. The face is rufous and there is no dark stripe running behind the eye.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Bangladesh.

When to see it

Peak activity in September · a variable species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Painted Francolin for real

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