Red-necked Spurfowl (Pternistis afer)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-necked Spurfowl

Pternistis afer (Müller, PLS, 1776)

25–38 cmLength455 gWeight

The red-necked spurfowl or red-necked francolin (Pternistis afer), is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae that is a resident species in southern Africa.

Busiest months: July and November · Most records: Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Red-necked Spurfowl has been recorded at 174 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Tarangire NPTanzania1,143 records
  2. Lake Mburo NPUganda1,037 records
  3. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya676 records
More places
  1. Maasai Mara NRKenya429 records
  2. Queen Elizabeth II NP – Kasenyi TrackUganda352 records
  3. Queen Elizabeth II NPUganda323 records
  4. Tarangire NP – Tarangire Safari LodgeTanzania217 records
  5. Queen Elizabeth II NP – Ishasha SectorUganda214 records
  6. Lake Mburo NP – Entrance RoadUganda208 records
  7. Mikumi NPTanzania184 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaTanzaniaKenyaZambiaMozambiqueRwandaZimbabweMalawi

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

The red-necked spurfowl or red-necked francolin (Pternistis afer), is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae that is a resident species in southern Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-necked Spurfowl?

The Red-necked Spurfowl is about 25–38 cm long and weighs around 455 g.

Where does the Red-necked Spurfowl live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central, eastern, southeastern. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

When is the best time to see the Red-necked Spurfowl?

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

Is the Red-necked Spurfowl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-necked Spurfowl as Least Concern.

What does the Red-necked Spurfowl eat?

Main food: Land plants.

What family is the Red-necked Spurfowl in?

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

At a glance

Length
25–38 cm
Weight
455 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Land plants
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
170 mm
Tail
69 mm
Bill
29 mm
Tarsus
49 mm

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

Range

Africa: central, eastern, southeastern

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 castaneicollisErckel's SpurfowlErckel's SpurfowlPternistis erckeliiDjibouti 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 capensis
Red-necked Spurfowl

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

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