Erckel's Spurfowl (Pternistis erckelii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Erckel's Spurfowl

Pternistis erckelii (Rüppell, 1835)

38–43 cmLength1.2 kgWeight

Erckel's spurfowl (Pternistis erckelii), also known as Erckel's francolin, is a species of game bird in the family Phasianidae.

Busiest months: November–December · Most records: Ethiopia, Eritrea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Erckel's Spurfowl has been recorded at 10 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Debre Libanos – Lodge and Portuguese BridgeEthiopia103 records
  2. Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia29 records
  3. Melka GhebduEthiopia9 records
More places
  1. Sululta PlainEthiopia8 records
  2. Filfil ForestEritrea6 records
  3. AsmaraEritrea1 record
  4. Lake Basaka – north shoreEthiopia1 record
  5. Wondo GenetEthiopia1 record
  6. Bishangari LodgeEthiopia1 record
  7. Awash NPEthiopia1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

EthiopiaEritrea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

Erckel's spurfowl (Pternistis erckelii), also known as Erckel's francolin, is a species of game bird in the family Phasianidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Erckel's Spurfowl?

The Erckel's Spurfowl is about 38–43 cm long and weighs around 1.2 kg.

Where does the Erckel's Spurfowl live?

Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern Sudan, Eritrea to central Ethiopia. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

When is the best time to see the Erckel's Spurfowl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Erckel's Spurfowl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Erckel's Spurfowl as Least Concern.

What does the Erckel's Spurfowl eat?

Main food: Land plants.

What family is the Erckel's Spurfowl in?

It belongs to the family Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae), order Galliformes.

At a glance

Length
38–43 cm
Weight
1.2 kg
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Land plants
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
210 mm
Tail
106 mm
Bill
29 mm
Tarsus
57 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: northeastern Sudan, Eritrea to central Ethiopia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pheasants & Allies Phasianidae
Genus
Pternistis

Other birds in the genus Pternistis

Hartlaub's SpurfowlHartlaub's SpurfowlPternistis hartlaubiMount Cameroon SpurfowlMount Cameroon SpurfowlPternistis camerunensisHandsome SpurfowlHandsome SpurfowlPternistis nobilisChestnut-naped SpurfowlChestnut-naped SpurfowlPternistis castaneicollisDjibouti SpurfowlDjibouti SpurfowlPternistis ochropectusSwierstra's SpurfowlSwierstra's SpurfowlPternistis swierstraiAhanta SpurfowlAhanta SpurfowlPternistis ahantensisGrey-striped SpurfowlGrey-striped SpurfowlPternistis griseostriatusJackson's SpurfowlJackson's SpurfowlPternistis jacksoniRed-billed SpurfowlRed-billed SpurfowlPternistis adspersusCape SpurfowlCape SpurfowlPternistis capensisNatal SpurfowlNatal SpurfowlPternistis natalensis
Erckel's Spurfowl

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Steven Mlodinow. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages