Harwood frankolin
| Harwood frankolin | ||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Francolinus harwoodi | ||||||||||
| Blundell & Lovat , 1899 |
The Harwood frankolin ( Francolinus harwoodi ) is a monotypical bird of the genus Frankoline from the pheasant-like family . It occurs only in the highlands of Ethiopia. With a population of 10,000–19,999 living specimens, it has been an endangered species since 1988.
features
The Harwoodfrankolin reaches a body length of 33 to 35 centimeters. The males are slightly larger. Their wing length is 17.7 to 18.7 centimeters with an average of 18.1 centimeters. The weight is 545 grams. In the females, the wing length is 16.2 to 16.5 centimeters. Their weight is 446 grams.
The gender dimorphism is not very pronounced. In the males, both the forehead and a stripe above the eyes are black. The parting is dark brown. The throat, head and sides of the neck are white with dark dashed lines. Otherwise, the neck and chest are isabel-colored with a brown-black crescent-shaped transverse banding, which extends to the flanks and which is slightly less pronounced on the stomach. The upper side of the body is light gray-brown, the individual feathers are cross-waved black and banded in a fuzzy isabel color. Its beak and the skin around its eyes are red. the legs are also red. They have a spur hump at the top and a sharp spur at the bottom.
The females are largely similar to the males, the markings on the lower abdomen are more blurred and they are a little more brown. They are a little lighter on the top of the body. Young birds are similar to females, but have a less pronounced transverse banding on the upper side of the body.
His loud, hoarse-exulting ko-ree can be heard clearly in the early morning hours. The best known viewing point is the bridge over the Blue Nile in the Jemma Valley in Ethiopia .
Possible confusion
The distribution area of the Harwood Frankolin borders on that of the Clapperton Frankolin . However, the two species differ in their habitat. The Clappertonfrankolin also has a whitish throat and a whitish stripe above the eyes. The red of the beak is less pronounced.
distribution and habitat
The Harwood frankolin is native to the highlands of Central Ethiopia around the Blue Nile. Its habitat requirements are still largely unexplored. It seems to prefer dense undergrowth along watercourses and also switches from these to open agricultural areas in order to forage for food in the early morning.
In 1996 it was observed in large numbers during surveys in the Jemma Valley and Jara Valley, as well as in the surrounding valleys and in the river basins of the northern Showa Zone. The maximum population density was 92 birds per 1 km². It is not known whether the birds switch back and forth between each area. If this is not the case, some of the subpopulations would be larger than 1,000 specimens. In the areas inhabited by Harwoodfrankolin, there is a great scarcity of resources for humans, so that even scrubby areas are cleared for use as arable land and trees are felled for the production of firewood and construction wood. This permanently destroys the natural habitat of the Harwoodrankolin. In addition, the bird is massively hunted . His eggs are also collected and eaten. Therefore the Harwood frankolin is considered endangered.
Way of life
The Harwood Frankolin prefers thorn bushes and cattail reeds as shelter and for building nests . This grows along narrow, shallow watercourses. But he also sleeps in thorn bushes on a hillside. The breeding season is between September and December, the clutch size is 4–7 eggs. He appears to be polygamous .
literature
- Del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A .; Sargatal, J. (2001) Handbook of the Birds of the World Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl . Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-15-6
- Steve Madge , Philip McGowan and Guy M. Kirwan : Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse. A Guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the world. Christopher Helm, London 2002, ISBN 0-7136-3966-0 .
- Heinz-Sigurd Raethel : Chicken birds of the world. Natur Verlag, Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1991, ISBN 3-89440-440-X .
Web links
- Pternistis harwoodi in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed September 11, 2016th
- Voice of the Harwood Frankolin on Xeno-Canto
Single receipts
- ↑ Pternistis harwoodi in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed September 11, 2016th
- ↑ a b c d e Madge, McGowan and Kirwan: Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse . P. 213.
- ↑ Raethel: Hühnervögel der Welt , p. 384.
- ^ Voice of Harwood Frankolin on Xeno-Canto , accessed September 11, 2016