Orange River Francolin

Overview

The Orange River francolin (Scleroptila gutturalis) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in grassland and woodland habitats across Africa and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Neck-line does not reach the eye in northern populations, while it reaches the eye in southern taxa.
• Belly is whitish in northern populations but buff in southern taxa.

Habitat

This species inhabits grassland and woodland in Africa. Its distribution spans regions including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya in the north, and Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Lesotho in the south.

Did you know?

Taxonomic authorities sometimes treat the northern and southern populations as separate species, referring to the northern group as the Archer's or acacia francolin (S. gutturalis with subspecies lorti) and the southern group as the Orange River francolin (S. levaillantoides with subspecies jugularis).