Painted Francolin

(Francolinus pictus)

• Avicultural Data
• Images
• Bibliography
• Links

Other Names: Painted Partridge.

Subspecies/Range: F. f. pictus - Southern India, F. f. pallidus - Central India, F. f. watsonsi - Sri Lanka.

Habitat: Scrublands and dry grasslands.

Brief Description: The male Painted Francolin has a rusty face, white throat and heavily mottled black and white. Females resemble their close relative, the Black Francolin, but head and back darker; breast mottled with black and white, less intense as male.

Status in Wild: Locally common on the Indian subcontinent, may hybridize with Black Francolin in small section of Manipur. The race watsoni is endangered on Sri Lanka.

Avicultural Data

Status in Aviculture: No data; I am not aware of the current existence of this species in North American aviaries.

Photo Credits
Hume and Marshall, Gamebirds of India, Burma and Ceylon, 1880

Any help with photos would be greatly appreciated; e-mail dan@animalwonders.net if you can help.

• Grewel, B. 2000. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Local Colour Limited, Hong Kong.
• Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., Inskipp, T. 1999. Birds of India. Christopher Helm, London; Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
• Johnsgard, P.A. 1988. The Quails, Partridges, and Francolins of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
• Madge, S., McGowan, P. 2002. Pheasants, Partridges, and Grouse. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
• Robbins, G.E.S. 1998. Partridges & Francolins, their Conservation, Breeding & Management. World Pheasant Association.

Links related to this species. Please note, links will open in a new window.

• Francolinus pictus Images - Images of this species located at the Phasianidae group on flickr.
• Painted Francolin - The Oriental Bird Club Image Database.
• Wikipedia - Painted Francolin - Wikipedia's species page.