Double-spurred Spurfowl

Overview

The double-spurred spurfowl (Pternistis bicalcaratus) is a gamebird belonging to the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is primarily restricted to tropical West Africa as a resident breeder, though a small and declining isolated population exists in Morocco.

Identification

• Males measure 30–34 cm in length and feature a mainly brown plumage with a chestnut crown and white supercilium.
• Distinctive field marks include a chestnut neck collar, white cheek patches, and pale cream face flecked with dark brown.
• Males typically possess two spurs on each leg, the upper one being blunt, while legs appear dull green.
• The species is largely silent except in spring, when males emit a mechanical krak-krak-krak song from mounds.

Habitat

Found in open habitats containing trees, the double-spurred spurfowl occupies a range stretching from Senegambia and southern Mauritania to western Nigeria. It is also present in central Nigeria, Cameroon, southwest Chad, and in an isolated population in western Morocco.

Diet

The bird consumes a wide variety of plant and insect food. Specific foraging techniques are not detailed in the reference material.

Did you know?

Despite being sexually dimorphic in adulthood, young birds are almost indistinguishable from adult females following the post-juvenile moult. Spurs do not develop for several months, and breeding usually does not occur until the birds are in their second year.