Rain quail

Coturnix coromandelica

Photo by Jugal Tiwari (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rain quail (en); codurniz-da-chuva (pt); caille nattée (fr); codorniz coromandélica (es); regenwachtel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found throughout India and marginally into Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and also into Myanmar and southern Thailand.

Size:
These birds are 15-17 cm long and weigh 64-71 g.

Habitat:
The rain quail is mostly found in grasslands and scrublands, also using arable land. They are known to move between different parts of their range in response to monsoon rains, avoiding the areas with heavier rains and moving into other areas that become more attractive with the rains.

Diet:
They eat the seeds of various grasses and seeds, as well as small insects and insect larvae.

Breeding:
Rain quails breed in March-October, the exact period varying between different areas in accordance with monsoon patterns. They are monogamous with strong pair bonds. The nest is a small hollow on the ground, lined with grasses or sometimes without any lining, often hidden among low scrubs. The female lays 4-9 yellowish or rust coloured eggs with yellow streaks, which are incubated for 16-19 days. The chicks are precocial, leaving the nest soon after hatching, but remain with their parents for up to 8 months.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is apparently widespread and generally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Chukar partridge

Alectoris chukar

Photo by Christodoulos Makris (Trek Nature)

Common name:
chukar partridge (en); perdiz-chucar (pt); perdrix choukar (fr); perdiz chucar (es); chukarhuhn (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found from south-eastern Europe, in Bulgaria and Greece, through Turkey and the Middle East and into central Asia to Pakistan, northern China, Mongolia and southern Russia. The chukar partridge has been introduced to western North America, Hawaii and New Zealand.

Size:
These birds are 32-39 cm long and have a wingspan of 47-52 cm. They weigh 450-800 g.

Habitat:
The chukar partridge is found in scrublands, temperate grasslands and rocky mountain slopes, from sea level up to an altitude of 4.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on shoots, seeds, bulbs and roots of various grasses, but will also take ants and other insects during summer.

Breeding:
Chukar partridges are monogamous. The breed in March-July, nesting on a simple scrape in the ground, sometimes lined with feathers and grasses. The nest is usually placed among ferns or scrubs, or protected by rocks. The female lays 7-21 yellowish-white eggs with brown speckles, which she mostly incubates alone for 22-25 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves, following their parents and sometimes joining other family groups. They start flying 3-4 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2-10 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Silver pheasant

Lophura nycthemera

Photo by Allan Drewitt (Flickr)

Common name:
silver pheasant (en); faisão-prateado (pt); faisan argenté (fr); faisán plateado (es); silberfasan (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
The silver pheasant is found in south-eastern Asia, from southern China down to Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds exhibit a large sexual dimorphism, especially because of the large tail of the males. Including the tail, the males are 120-125 cm long while the smaller females are 60-75 cm long. The males weigh 1,1-2 kg while the females weigh 1,1-1,3 kg.

Habitat:
Silver pheasants are found in dry grasslands and tropical moist forests, especially along the forest edge, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, mainly taking seeds and fruits, but also some invertebrates.

Breeding:
Silver pheasants breed in March-June. The males are polygamous, often living in small groups with one male and several females. They nest on the ground, where the female lays 6-9 eggs. Some nests can have up to 15 eggs, but these a most likely from several females. The eggs are incubated for 25-26 days and the precocial chicks are able to feed themselves soon after hatching. Both sexes help the chicks find food and protect them from predators.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be widespread and common. Some populations  are declining locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of hunting.

Painted bush-quail

Perdicula erythrorhyncha

Photo by P.J. Vasanthan (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
painted bush-quail (en); perdiz-do-mato-pintada (pt); perdicule à bec rouge (fr); perdicilla piquirroja (es); buntwachtel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is endemic to India, occurring in two disjunct subspecies. P.e.blewitti is found
from the Satpuras to the northern Eastern Ghats, while P.e.erythrorhyncha in found in the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris and other areas of southern India such as Biligirirangans and Shevaroys.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 50-65 g.

Habitat:
The painted bush-quail is found in dry tropical scrublands and grasslands, as well as in arable land, at altitudes of 600-2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on the ground eating the seeds of various grasses and scrubs.

Breeding:
The painted bush-quail breeds in December-March and again in August-October. The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground, under a scrub or rock, where the female lays 4-7 pale-buff eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone for 16-18 days and the chicks leave the nest soon after hatching. The follow the mother and rely on her protection.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as locally common over most of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Himalayan snowcock

Tetraogallus himalayensis

Photo by Rémy Lecolazet (Oiseaux)

Common name:
Himalayan snowcock (en); galo-das-neves-dos-Himalaias (pt); tétraogalle de l'Himalaya (fr); perdigallo himalayo (es); Himalayakönigshuhn (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This species is found across the Himalayas, from eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, through northern India and Nepal and north into western China and eastern Kazakhstan.

Size:
These birds are 54-74 cm long and have a wingspan of 86-97 cm. They weigh 2-3,6 kg.

Habitat:
The Himalayan snowcock is found in high, open, steep mountain slopes, between the tree-line and the snow-line, mostly in alpine grasslands and rocky areas. They occur at altitudes of 3.600-4.600 m.

Diet:
They feed on plant matter such as rushes, tubers, leaves, young shoots, berries, grasses and grass seeds.

Breeding:
Himalayan snowcocks breed in April-July. They are monogamous and nest in a depression on the ground, lined with dry grasses and feathers, situated amongst tussocks of grass, and often protected by rock or boulders, or in caves. There the female lays 6-12 olive or brown eggs with reddish-brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 25-28 days while the male stands guard. The precocial chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and follow the parents until the nest breeding season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread. Although the Himalayan snowcock is hunted for food the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Shelley's francolin

Francolinus shelleyi

Photo by Achim Mittler (Flickr)

Common name:
Shelley's francolin (en); francolim-de-Shelley (pt); francolin de Shelley (fr); francolín de Shelley (es); Shelley-frankolin (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae

Range:
This African species is found in in the south-eastern portion of the continent, from Kenya and Tanzania, through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique and down to eastern South Africa.

Size:
The Shelley's francolin is 30-35 cm long and weighs 480-500 g.

Habitat:
These birds are found in dry savannas, woodlands and dry grasslands, particularly in areas of rocky ground. They are mainly found at altitudes of 700-3.000 m.

Diet:
Shelley's francolins mainly eat corms, bulbs, seeds and grains, but will also take insects during the summer.

Breeding:
They can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is a scape in the ground, lined with grasses and roots and placed among grass or bushes. There the female lays 3-8 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 20-22 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to fly short distances after 12 days, but only become fully independent 5 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The Shelley's francolin has a very large breeding range and is reported to be generally common to locally rare. The population is declining owing to habitat degradation caused by over-grazing and burning.

Congo peafowl

Afropavo congensis

(Photo from Animal Picture Archive)

Common name:
Congo peafowl (en); pavão-do-Congo (pt); paon du Congo (fr); pavo del Congo (es); Kongopfau (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae


Range:
This African species is endemic to the lowland rainforests of the Congo river basin, in the central parts of D.R. Congo.


Size:
These birds are 60-70 cm long and weigh 1-1,2 kg.


Habitat:
The Congo peafowl is mostly found in lowland primary rainforests, but also in other forests types, including dry forests, often near watersheds. They are present up to an altitude of 1.200 m.


Diet:
They have a fairly diverse diet, which includes various fruits and seeds, as well as insects and other invertebrate.


Breeding:
The breeding season of the Congo peafowl is variable, depending on local rainfall conditions. They are monogamous, apparently living in small family groups, and nest in a scrape or hollow in the ground. The female lays 2-4 eggs, which she incubates alone for 27-28 days. The chicks are precocious and leave the nest soon after hatching, but the parents take care of them for several weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss and hunting pressure. Mining and the associated human settlement result in an increasing forest clearing which causes further logging, agricultural development and hunting.

Blood pheasant

Ithaginis cruentus

Photo by Dhritiman Mukherjee (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
blood pheasant (en); faisão-sangue(pt); ithagine ensanglantée (fr); faisán de sangre (es); blutfasan (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae


Range:
This Asian species is found in the mountains of Nepal, northern India, Bhutan, Tibet, northern Myanmar and south-central China.


Size:
Blood pheasants are 40-48 cm long and weigh 410-620 g.


Habitat:
These birds are found in coniferous and mixed forests, in bamboo forests, scrublands and alpine meadows. They occur at altitudes of 2.500-4.500 m.


Diet:
These birds eat lichens, pine seeds, green shoots, berries and some invertebrates including snails, butterflies, flies and beetles.


Breeding:
Blood pheasants breed in May-July. They nest on the ground, in a shallow saucer made of dry twigs lined with leaves, thin tree roots and mosses. The female lays 5-14 pink or yellowish white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 27-33 days while the male stands guard. The chicks are able to walk and feed themselves just 2 days after hatching, but continue to be brooded and protected by the female for 5-6 weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common and widespread in some areas and scarce in others. Populations are declining throughout much of its range owing to habitat loss and degradation caused by timber extraction, overgrazing and agricultural conversion, as well as hunting pressure. Still, the blood pheasant is not considered threatened at present.

Red-legged partridge

Alectoris rufa

Photo by José Ardaiz (Fotonatura)

Common name:

red-legged partridge (en); perdiz-comum (pt); perdrix rouge (fr); perdiz roja (es); rothuhn (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Phasianidae

Range:

The red-legged partridge is native of south-western Europe, being found from portugal and Spain, through France and into Italy and southern Germany. This species is a popular game birds and it has been introduced to several countries, namely Algeria, Greece, Ireland, U.K. and New Zealand.

Size:

These birds are 32-36 cm long and have a wingspan of 47-50 cm. Males tend to be larger than females. The females weigh 400-500 g while the males weigh 500-550 g.

Habitat:

Red-legged partridges are generally found in agricultural areas, grasslands and natural pastures, open woodlands, Mediterranean scrublands and in rocky areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:

These birds eat a wide range of plants, including the seeds of both natural and agricultural cereals, leaves, roots and shoots of green grasses and wild fruits and berries. They sometimes also eat insects.

Breeding:

Red-legged partridges breed in April-July. The male builds the nest, a shallow scrape on ground, screened by rocks or vegetation and thinly lined with vegetation. There the female lays 10-16 creamy-yellow or buff eggs with with reddish-brown or grey spots and blotches. The eggs are incubated for 23-25 days and the female is responsible incubating the first clutch while the male incubates the second clutches if a second clutch is layed. The chicks are able to feed by themselves a few days after hatching and are able to make short flight at 10 days of age, but will remain with the parent until 50-60 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 clutches per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 6-13,5 million individuals. The population is declining owing to over-hunting, loss of habitat caused by urbanisation and agricultural intensification and increased competition and hybridisation with introduced rock partridges A. graeca and chukar partridges A. chukar, but overall it is not considered threatened at present.