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New Francolin and Spurfowl Taxonomy

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New Francolin and Spurfowl Taxonomy TAXONOMY amebirds have been domest­ icated for food production and for ornamental aviculture Gfor centuries, yet they remain a mostly under­appreciated group of birds. This might be because they can be seen along roadsides, in open farmlands, urban fringes and even within towns and gardens. The gamebirds have rep­ resentatives on all continents except Antarctica and, together with the ducks and geese, form the basal group among the Neoaves. The Galliformes comprise nine major groups of terrestrial game­ birds: megapodes, cracids, guineafowls, grouse, turkeys, pheasants, partridges (including francolins and spurfowls), and Old World and New World quails. Studies combining the genetics and anatomy of living species and fossils JACQUES PITTELOUD suggested that pheasants, partridges, compared to the raucous crowing or above Plain-bellied Francolin Campocolinus quails, spurfowls and francolins are not cackling calls of spurfowls. hubbardi (male shown) has been elevated to natural evolutionary groups, but rather The African francolins are related to a full species. mosaics of evolutionarily unrelated the Asiatic francolins, the Junglefowl species. Even the best­known gamebird and Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola opposite Also elevated to a full species, and the wild ancestor of the domestic thoracica. Since they link with Asiatic Cranch’s Spurfowl Pternistis cranchii was a chicken, the Junglefowl Gallus gallus, francolins, including the Black Franco­ subspecies of P. afer. was moved on the gamebird evolution­ lin Francolinus francolinus, which was ary tree from being with the pheasants the first francolin described to science, the currently recognised number of to a branch that includes a mix of ‘fran­ they have retained the common English species by two and decreases the num­ colins’ and ‘partridges’. name ‘francolin’. By comparison, spur­ ber of subspecies from 59 to 16. Traditionally, the largest group of fowls group with quails and a range of The Scaly Spurfowl subspecies Pternis- African gamebirds, the francolins, was northern hemisphere ‘partridges’. The tis squamatus schuetti has been elevated classified with partridges in the tribe name ‘spurfowl’ was already in use for to a full species and is now known as CLIFF DORSE Perdicini within the family Phasi­ the Yellow­necked Spurfowl Pternistis Schuett’s Spurfowl P. schuetti. It occurs anidae, although the only anatomical leucoscepus of East Africa and so offered in the eastern Democratic Republic of feature that supports this grouping is an alternative name for the species with the Congo (DRC), extending east to that they all have 14 tail feathers. The no close affinities to the true francolins. Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and 41 species of francolins, 36 from Af­ Recent research by a team from the Malawi. It resembles the Scaly Spurfowl, rica and five from Asia, were placed FitzPatrick Institute of African Or­ but is less vermiculated overall, the scaly elevating in a single genus, Francolinus, but we nithology, UCT, and the University pattern on the lower neck is less clearly now know that the genus contains two of California, Berkeley, was based on defined and each feather has a deep red­ quite distinct lineages: the ‘true franco­ morpho­behavioural and genetic evi­ brown centre. Somewhat surprisingly, its lins’ and spurfowls. The distinction be­ dence and tested the classification of closest relative is the Grey­striped Spur­ tween these groups is apparent in their spurfowls and francolins (Mandiwana­ fowl P. griseostriatus of Angola. plumage, escape flight behaviour and Neudani et al. 2019. Ostrich 90(2 & 3)). The other new spurfowl is the Red­ gamebirds vocalisations. Francolins have quail­ Historically, four sub­groups were necked Spurfowl subspecies P. afer like upperparts while spurfowls have recognised within the spurfowls: the cranchii, which has been elevated to streaked or vermiculated back feathers. bare­throated, montane, scaly and ver­ a full species and is now known as Francolins typically crouch and sit tight miculated spurfowls. We support these Cranch’s Spurfowl P. cranchii. This New francolin and spurfowl taxonomy before flushing when disturbed, where­ sub­groups, but recommend the rec­ less distinctly marked ‘new species’ is as spurfowls tend to run for cover. And ognition of only one genus, Pternistis, distributed across the southern DRC, TEXT ROB LITTLE francolins have musical, whistling calls comprising 25 species. This increases northern Angola, northern Zambia, > 50 AFRICAN BIRDLIFE MARCH/APRIL 2020 GAMEBIRDS 51 Africa and Botswana respectively. The closely related Archer’s Francolin S. gut - turalis in East Africa is supported as a full species. Crawshay’s Francolin S. craw- shayii from north of the Zambezi River is elevated from the Red­winged Fran­ colin S. levaillantii, which now becomes a southern African endemic. The Coqui Francolin complex in the new genus Campocolinus has five newly elevated species: Pale­bellied Franco­ lin C. spinetorum, Bar­bellied Francolin C. maharao, Plain­bellied Francolin C. hubbardi, Thika Francolin C. thikae and Stuhlmann’s Francolin C. stuhlman- ni, while the Coqui Francolin retains four subspecies: C. coqui coqui, C. c. ruahdae, C. c. vernayi and C. c. kasaicus. Other francolin changes see Chestnut­ breasted Francolin Campocolinus dewit- tei elevated from being a subspecies of White­throated Francolin C. albogula- ris; Elgon Francolin Scleroptila elgonen- sis elevated from Moorland Francolin S. psilolaema; and both Ulu Francolin NEW SPURFOWL AND FRANCOLIN SPECIES S. uluensis and Rufous­throated Fran­ CALLAN COHEN colin S. whytei elevated from Shelley’s Scientific name Common English name above Elgon Francolin Scleroptila elgonen- Malawi, western Tanzania, Kenya and level (see box opposite) and lumping Francolin S. shelleyi. Scaly Spurfowls sis, here on Mount Kenya, has been elevated Uganda. This leaves the Red­necked other subspecies into more inclusive The enigmatic Nahan’s Francolin Pti- Pternistis schuetti Schuett’s Spurfowl from S. psilolaema. Spurfowl with three subspecies (P. a. entities, with only 14 subspecies in lopachus nahani is neither a spurfowl afer, humboldtii and castaneiventer) dis­ contrast to 52 previously. The bantam­ nor a francolin, but rather a sister spe­ Bare-throated Spurfowls below Schuett’s Spurfowl Pternistis schuetti, tributed along the lower Cunene River like Crested Francolin is designated a cies to the Stone Partridge P. p etro su s . P. cranchii Cranch’s Spurfowl previously a subspecies, is now a full species. bordering Namibia and Angola in the new genus, Ortygornis, and split into Even more surprising is that these two Striated Francolins west, and through eastern Tanzania, three species. The Crested Francolin African ‘partridges’ are relatives of the Ortygornis grantii Grant’s Francolin opposite Grant’s Francolin Ortygornis gran- Mozambique and eastern South Africa. O. [sephaena] sephaena is now con­ New World Quails (Odontophoridae) O. rovuma Kirk’s Francolin tii is one of three species in the new genus The francolins were also thought to fined to a band across southern Angola, and thus are placed in their own sub­ Ortygornis. contain four sub­groups: the spotted, northern Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, family, Ptilopachinae. Red-tailed Francolins striated, red­tailed and red­winged fran­ Zimbabwe and north­eastern South If these recommendations are wide­ Campocolinus dewittei Chestnut-breasted Francolin colins. We support these sub­groups and Africa. Kirk’s Francolin O. rovuma has ly adopted, there will be three new C. spinetorum Pale-bellied Francolin propose the five relevant genera: Franco- two subspecies: O. r. rovuma in coastal species in southern Africa: Kunene C. maharao Bar-bellied Francolin linus, Ortygornis, Campocolinus, Peliper- Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique Francolin in northern Namibia, Kirk’s dix and Scleroptila. The Forest (Latham’s) and O. r. spilogaster in eastern Ethio­ Francolin in central Mozambique and C. hubbardi Plain-bellied Francolin Francolin is isolated in the genus Peliper- pia and Somalia. The third species, Stuhlmann’s Francolin in central to C. thikae Thika Francolin dix as a result of its overall differences Grant’s Francolin O. grantii, is found in north­eastern Zimbabwe and Mozam­ C. stuhlmanni Stuhlmann’s Francolin with the red­tailed group. An interest­ southern Sudan and western Ethiopia bique. The subregion will also acquire Red-winged Francolins ing shuffle is the shifting of Ring­necked through to north­central Tanzania. two more endemic francolins in addi­ Scleroptila crawshayi Crawshay’s Francolin Francolin Scleroptila streptophora from The Orange River Francolin also of­ tion to Grey­winged Francolin S. afra, the striated francolin group to a basal fers a new species, the Kunene Francolin namely the Orange River and Red­ S. elgonensis Elgon Francolin position within the red­winged franco­ Scleroptila jugularis in southern Angola winged francolins. S. gutturalis Archer’s Francolin lins (Scleroptila spp.). and northern Namibia, while the Or­ I thank my colleagues and co­authors S. jugularis Kunene Francolin Perhaps most exciting for birders is ange River Francolin is now confined Tshifhiwa Mandiwana­Neudani, Tim S. uluensis Ulu Francolin that the study recommends elevating as two subspecies, S. levalliantoides le- Crowe and Rauri Bowie for interesting S. whytei Rufous-throated Francolin no fewer than 14 subspecies to species valliantoides and S. l. pallidior in South times working on these gamebirds. JACQUES PITTELOUD (2) 52 AFRICAN BIRDLIFE MARCH/APRIL 2020 GAMEBIRDS 53.
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