Handsome spurfowl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Handsome francolin
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Genus:	Pternistis
Species:	P. nobilis
Binomial name
Pternistis nobilis (Reichenow, 1908)
geographic distribution
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Synonyms
Francolinus nobilis

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The handsome spurfowl (Pternistis nobilis) is a type of bird in the pheasant family. It is a large bird, growing up to 35 centimeters long. This bird lives on the ground in forests.

It has dark reddish-brown feathers and a grey head. Its bill and legs are red, and its eyes have a brown iris. The skin around its eyes is bare and red. Its underside is a rufous-grey color. Both male and female handsome spurfowls look similar, but the female is a little smaller. Young birds have duller feathers.

You can find the handsome spurfowl in the mountain forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwest Uganda, and near the borders of Burundi and Rwanda. This bird is very shy and hard to see. People often hear its calls more than they see the bird itself. It mainly eats seeds.

About Its Name

Scientists gave the handsome spurfowl its name in 1908. A German bird expert named Anton Reichenow described it. He found a specimen (a collected example) on Mount Sabyinyo. This mountain is in the Virunga Mountains, near the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Reichenow first gave it the two-part scientific name Francolinus nobilis. Now, scientists place this bird in the genus Pternistis. Another German naturalist, Johann Georg Wagler, created this group in 1832. The second part of its scientific name, nobilis, comes from Latin. It means "noble," "famous," or "renowned." The handsome spurfowl is a monotypic species. This means it does not have any different types or subspecies.

Protecting the Handsome Spurfowl

The handsome spurfowl is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It is common in many parts of its home range.

However, recent studies in southwestern Uganda found the bird in only 1 out of 10 survey spots. This research suggests that the handsome spurfowl might be rarer than thought. It seems to prefer living in mountain bamboo forests. This type of habitat is rare and found in scattered patches. Because of this, experts might need to look again at its conservation status. Protecting its special bamboo forest home is very important for this bird.