Hildebrandt's Spurfowl

Overview

Hildebrandt's spurfowl (Pternistis hildebrandti) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae, native to parts of East and Central Africa. It is classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Sexual dimorphism: The sexes differ markedly in their plumage.- Size: Females are smaller than males.

Habitat

The species is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. The nominate subspecies, P. h. hildebrandti, occurs in Kenya, north and west Tanzania, southeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, and northeast Zambia, while the subspecies P. h. johnstoni is found in southeast Tanzania, north Mozambique, and Malawi.

Did you know?

The species is named after Johann Maria Hildebrandt, the zoologist who collected the first specimens in Kenya. These initial specimens were later used by German ornithologist Jean Cabanis to describe the species in 1878.