Hey! We are chicken-like species called Painted Spurfowls. We are called Spurfowls as we have spurs (an outgrowth of bone with bare skin) on our legs. Have a look at a few interesting points about us:
- We are shy birds and usually live in the underground and come out only to feed and roost.
- Do you know? We are not domesticated as we are smaller in size.
- We, like any other pheasants, cannot fly long. We usually escape by running and in rare cases we fly for a short distance.
- We protect our young using distraction techniques to lead the predator away from the chicks.
- We are not much predated as we live mostly hiding.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Galloperdix Lunulata.
Identification: Brown chicken-like birds with white spots all over the body.
Our Habitat: rocky hills and scrub forests and slopes.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed mainly on berries, flowers as well as several insects.
Breeding Period: January to June.
Number of eggs laid: 3-5 eggs.
Incubation period: about 15 days.
Lifespan: 3-4 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Not Listed.
PAINTED SPURFOWL
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Galloperdix
Species: G. lunulata
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
Painted Spurfowl are birds belonging to the Pheasant family and found only in India. They are scientifically called as Galloperdix Lunulata.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are chicken-like species but smaller. We have a body length of about 35cm and weigh 225gms-300gms. We are pretty distinctive among pheasants.
We have no bare facial skin. Males of our species have body that has brown colored feathers with black tail and black secondary wings. The face is black and our whole body has white spots. Lower body and lower chest are lighter brown in color and there is a greenish-blue color on the wings.
Females of our species are very different from the males; hence we are classified as sexually dimorphic. Females of our species are much duller in color and lack the white spots. We have dark grey bills and legs. Males and females have spurs (outgrowth of bone) on the legs. Males can have 2-4 spurs while females can have 1-2 spurs.
Young chicks are dull in color and look similar to adult female.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in rocky hills and scrub forests and slopes. Our range lies only in India, especially in Peninsular India near mountains and forests.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous birds and mainly feed on berries. We also feed on flowers as well as several insects.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We live in small groups or in pairs. The group is generally the whole family which has about 6 individuals. We are monogamous birds meaning we have a single mate for a lifetime. Males attract females by offering food.
Breeding season is from January to June. The nest is built in the ground using leaves and small rocks. Female lays 3-5 eggs and the incubation period is about 15 days. Incubation is done by female alone while the young chicks are taken care of and fed by both the parents. Our lifespan is 3-4 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are shy birds and usually live in undergrowth and come out only to feed and roost.
We, like any other pheasants cannot fly long. We usually escape by running and in rare cases we fly for a short distance.
We are not domesticated as we are smaller in size.
We protect our young using distraction techniques to lead the predator away from the chicks.
We are not much predated as we live mostly hiding.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly available in our range and do not have any known threats to our population. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN and protected under Schedule IV of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Pic Credit: ebird.org
