Red-necked Spurfowl

Overview

The red-necked spurfowl, also known as the red-necked francolin, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae that resides in southern Africa. It is a widespread and common species evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Length of 25–38 cm with significant size differences between subspecies.
• Generally dark plumage, brown above and black-streaked grey or white underparts.
• Bright red bill, bare facial skin, neck, and legs.

Habitat

Occurs across the central region of Africa below the Congo Basin, found in countries including Angola, southern Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its range extends east to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania, continuing down the eastern side of Southern Africa. It is absent from most parts of Namibia, Botswana, and the western parts of South Africa.