Quail Frankolin

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Quail Frankolin
Quail frankolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) of the nominate form

Quail frankolin ( Francolinus pondicerianus ) of the nominate form

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Chicken birds (Galliformes)
Family : Pheasants (Phasianidae)
Genre : Frankoline ( Francolinus )
Type : Quail Frankolin
Scientific name
Francolinus pondicerianus
( Gmelin , 1789)
Quail Frankolin on a branch
The quail frankolin is a typical species of the Indian cultural landscape

The gray francolin ( Francolinus pondicerianus ) is a Galliformes art from the genus of Frankoline . It inhabits arid areas and rural cultural landscapes from the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula eastwards across the Indian subcontinent south of the Himalayas to Bangladesh . With its eye-catching reputation, the species is one of the most distinctive inhabitants of the Indian drylands.

description

The quail frankolin is about the size of a partridge at 30–32 cm . The male is significantly larger with a wing length between 142 and 161 mm and a weight of 255-340 g than the female with a wing length of 142-146 mm and a weight of 200-312 g. The sexes do not differ in terms of plumage. In the rooster, the orange legs have a spur that is absent in the female. The beak is black, the iris brown.

In the nominate form , the vertex and neck are gray-brown; Forehead, stripes above the eyes, sides of the head, chin and throat reddish beige to orange. The ear covers are brown, the throat is framed by a narrow, dark band. The underside is cream beige with dark banding, which is quite fine on the neck and chest and wider on the flanks. The gray-brown upper side shows a whitish to beige banding and light shaft lines on the shoulder plumage, upper wing-coverts and umbrella feathers . The reddish tail has a dark subterminal band.

Young birds can be distinguished from adult animals by their less intense coloring and the lack of a dark border on the throat.

voice

The call of the roosters is one of the most characteristic bird calls of the Indian arid and cultivated landscapes. It is introduced by some chuckling sounds and consists of conspicuous series of calls that can be described as ka-ti-tar ... ka-ti-tar ... ka-ti-tar . From the hen a high, rising she she she or tie-tie-tie as well as a weaker variant of the roosters' call can be heard, which is often brought forward in duet with them. The alarm call is a high and excited kirr-kirr .

Distribution and existence

The distribution area of ​​the Quail Frankolin extends from the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula via southern Iran to Balochistan with evidence in southeast Afghanistan through the lowlands of Pakistan . On the Indian subcontinent, the distribution extends south of the Himalayas eastward to Bangladesh and - leaving out the western coastal regions - southward to the north of Sri Lanka . It is questionable whether the populations in the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain , Qatar , eastern Saudi Arabia and northern Oman are autochthonous . The species was introduced to numerous islands in the Indian Ocean . So in the Seychelles , Mauritius , Réunion and Rodrigues . The species has now disappeared on Diego Garcia and the Andamans . There were other naturalizations in Hawaii and in the southwest of the USA .

The species is abundant locally, but its populations are declining in areas where it is heavily hunted and where pesticides are used extensively in agriculture. The species is happy to accept areas with extensive agriculture and, for example, was able to spread strongly in northern Oman through desert irrigation, so that it has also been breeding in the surrounding states since the 1980s. The population in the United Arab Emirates was estimated at 5,000-10,000 breeding pairs in 1996.

Geographic variation

The geographic variation is quite pronounced. While the nominate form is relatively dark overall and has a reddish beige to orange face, the subspecies F. p. mecranensis overall very pale and shows a beige face and a whitish throat region. The subspecies F. p. interpositus mediates in between. The upper side in particular is paler than that of the nominate shape and the center of the throat is whitish. The described subspecies F. p. prepositus , paganus and titar are no longer recognized today and F. p. attributed to interpositus . F. p. ceylonensis is assigned to the nominate form.

  • F. p. mecranensis Zarudny & Härms , 1913 - southeastern Iran, Oman and southern Pakistan
  • F. p. interpositus Hartert , 1917 - from the east of Sindh in Pakistan and from Nepal to northeastern India
  • F. p. pondicerianus ( Gmelin , 1789) - southern India and north-western coastal region of Sri Lanka

Way of life

The habitat of the quail frankolin is dry scrubland of xerophytes , semi-deserts , open grass steppes and rural cultural landscapes. The species is absent in the mountains. The species is found in pairs or in small groups of 4–8 birds, which often look for food on dusty paths and in open areas in the bushes. The activity times are mainly in the morning and evening hours. Often preferred water points are sought out, but the species is also able to absorb enough liquid from the morning dew in very dry areas. Troubled associations flee in different directions and seek cover in bushes; the birds rarely fly up.

For the breeding business, which takes place all year round, but mainly between April and September, the pairs separate from the association. The species is monogamous . The nest consists of a shallow hollow, slightly lined with stalks and leaves, which is well hidden under a bush. The clutch consists of 6–9 elongated oval, creamy white to brownish beige eggs of 34.5 × 26 mm in size. The incubation period is between 18 and 19 days.

literature

Web links

Commons : Wachtelfrankolin  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wachtelfrankolin: audio sample ; MP3; 628 kB