GALLIFORMES of Asia
Galliformes are heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game birds. Most are plump-bodied with thick necks and moderately long legs, and have rounded and rather short wings. They do not fly well if at all, but walk and run instead for transportation. These birds vary greatly in size from 12-120 cm. Many adult males have one to several sharp horny spurs on the back of each leg, which they use for fighting. They can be found worldwide and in a variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, and meadows. Male courtship behavior includes elaborate visual displays of plumage. Gallinaceous birds feed on a variety of plant and animal material, which may include fruits, seeds, leaves, shoots, flowers, tubers, roots, insects, snails, worms, lizards, snakes, small rodents, and eggs. [abstracted from Wikipedia]
Francolins
Order Galliformes Family Phasianidae
The francolins have been traditionaly placed in one genus, Francolinus, abut recently the tendency is to place them in more than one. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. Some francolin species are also know as spurfowls, Most species are restricted to Africa, but those in the reorganinzed Francolinus occur in Asia. Francolins are terrestrial (though not flightless) birds of the Old World that feed on insects, vegetable matter and seeds. Most of the members have a hooked upper beak, tails with fourteen feathers and in many of them the male has tarsal spurs.
Genus Francolinus
Francolin, Grey Francolinus pondicerianus Found: Asia, introduced to Hawaii
Photographed by: 1) DIck Daniels - Hawaii 2) Dick - Hawaii
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