Hey! We are shy pheasants called Red Spur fowl. In Marathi language of India, we are called as Kokatri because of our distinct and harsh sounds “ker-wick.. kerwick and karr…karr…”.
Have a look at few important points about us:
- We are the species that were first described by French traveler Pierre Sonnerat in Madagascar in the late 1800s.
- Do you know? We are one of the few birds that eat small pebbles and stones as an aid to our digestion as we do not possess teeth.
- We are very shy and secretive birds and cannot be seen often in our range. We are able to hide well despite our size.
- Like all other pheasants, we cannot fly high but when threatened we fly for a short distance.
- We have a distinct call. We roost in the morning and in the evening. We are silent the remaining time.
- We are domesticated in some areas of our range for various purposes.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Galloperdix Spadicea.
Identification: Regular chicken-like bird with brown colored body and two (rarely 3) distinct spurs on the head along with red skin patch on the face.
Our Habitat: scrub, moist and also dry deciduous forests.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed mainly on berries, seeds, mollusks, and insects.
Breeding Period: January to June.
Number of eggs laid: 3-5 eggs.
Incubation period: about 20 days.
Lifespan: 10-15 years
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Not listed
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Galloperdix
Species: G. spadicea
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the Red Spurfowls, members of the pheasant family. We are found only in India. Let us tell you more about our species.We are scientifically called as Galloperdix Spadicea.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are medium-sized birds with a body length of 36cm-38cm and weighing 250gms- 450gms.
We have brown colored upperparts with the face and neck being grey in color. The underside is reddish-brown in color. The face has a red-colored skin patch. Legs are red in color. We have long feathers on the crown. This crown can sometimes be erected to be like a crest.
Males of our species have two spurs, sometimes three (spurs are spikes that emerge from the head) while females do not possess them. These spurs are red in color, hence our name.
Males are bigger than females. Young ones of our species have brown head and dark brown band along the back.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in scrub, moist and also dry deciduous forests. We usually hide and cannot be seen out often.
Our range lies entirely in India. In India we are found from the south side of the river Ganges to the southernmost point of India.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous birds and forage for food. We feed on berries, seeds, mollusks, and insects. As we do not have teeth, we take in few pebbles and small stones along with the food to crush the food. This provides aid in digestion.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We usually live in small groups of 4-6 birds. We are monogamous birds (having a single mate for a lifetime). Our breeding season is from January to June. Males make a nest on the ground while the female lays eggs in it. 3-5 eggs are laid by the female and the incubation period is about 20 days. Incubation is done by female alone however male defends the nest as well as the female.
The young are taken care of and fed by both males and females, but the male takes more care.
The young chicks may stay in the group to assist the next brood or leave after a few weeks. Though our exact lifespan is not known, like any other fowls, we are expected to have a lifespan of 10-15 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are forest birds and we are very secretive despite our size.
We are silent throughout the day and only call in the morning and in the evening. We have a distinct call.
We mostly run on the ground however when threatened, we fly for a short distance.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly available throughout our range and are not threatened in any way. We are domesticated in a few areas of our range. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN and also in Schedule IV of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Pic Credits: Ebirds.org
