Swamp Francolin Ortygornis gularis Scientific name definitions

36–38 cm (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male c. 510 g. Differs from other Asian Francolinus in strongly contrasting white stripes on underparts and rusty throat and foreneck. Largest francolin on Indian Subcontinent, with broad whitish-buff lores and supercilium, boldly white-streaked white underparts except rufous vent, and overall brown upperparts finely barred rufous and buff. Chestnut outer tail feathers (like O. pondicerianus) and primaries are conspicuous in flight. Iris brown, bill black, legs orange-yellow to red (brightest in breeding male) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Female similar to male, but lacks spur and has duller tarsus. Juvenile recalls adult but is duller, with buffier throat and has brown, rather than black, edges to streaking on underparts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Wet grasslands in low-lying land of terai and belt of alluvial plains below 250 m (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); land prone to flooding in areas adjacent to Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems. In tall, dense grassland near marshy and swampy areas; also in sugarcane plantations around standing water in some areas, and in paddyfields. Shows preference for grassland dominated by Sclerostachya fusca and Saccharum spp., usually within 200 m of water (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ) and will use recently burnt areas (4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Occasionally recorded at much higher elevation, during periods of flood, e.g. at 1200 m in Assam (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Sedentary, but will move to dry ground when low lying areas around marshes are flooded. A radio-tracking study initiated in Dudwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, found that home range size varied from 273 m² to 2687 m², with males having on average larger home ranges, and was significantly correlated with tracking duration (36–130 days) (5 Iquabal, P., McGowan, P.J.K., Carroll, J.P. and Rahmani, A.R. (2003). Home range size, habitat use and nesting success of Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis on agricultural land in northern India. Bird Conservation International. 13(2): 127–138 Close ). Flies out to feed on spring mornings, calling whilst in flight. Prefers to escape by running, but if flushed rises heavily on whirring wings, flying strongly over a short distance before dropping back into cover.

Seeds of weeds and cereals, mustard, rice and other crop shoots, bulbs and tubers (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); also insects (especially chicks for first month of life) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Emerges from tall grassland and cultivation, especially sugarcane, to forage on tracks with very short grass and around marshes in early morning and late afternoon. Sometimes wades in shallow water (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Recorded in small groups of up to ten, usually pair of adults plus their last brood (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ).

Vocally rather distinctive. Advertisement call , given from ground or low bush, by male, a series of loud “kaw-care” call or similar, which start hestitantly but reach a defeaning, fever-pitched chorus before dying away, and sometimes becomes duet with female, who gives sharp “kirr-kirr-kirr” (up to ten calls in eight seconds) in response; also a harsh “chuckeroo-chuckeroo-chuckeroo”, sometimes mixed with other single notes (6 McGowan, P.J.K., Javed, S. and Rahmani, A.R. (1995). Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis survey technique: a case study from northern India. Forktail. 11: 101-110. Close ), and range of harsh chuckling or cackling notes, including when flushed, all of them similar to O. pondicerianus, but generally more robust, lower-pitched and less metallic (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Calls most frequently around sunrise and sunset, especially in the morning when commences vocalizing up to 50 minutes before dawn (6 McGowan, P.J.K., Javed, S. and Rahmani, A.R. (1995). Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis survey technique: a case study from northern India. Forktail. 11: 101-110. Close ).

Lays from late Feb or Mar to May, mainly late Mar to Apr. Apparently monogamous; species is usually encountered in pairs, occasionally groups of four adults (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ). Nest is apparently often placed amongst reeds standing in water, in which case constructed from reeds, etc; alternatively at marsh edge, where nest is a more rudimentary structure; usually comprises a relatively deep cup of grass and weeds (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Normally 3–4 pale buff eggs blotched reddish (range 3–7) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); incubation and nest construction (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) by female alone, but male helps tend chicks (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Of six nests constructed by radio-tracked birds in Dudwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, in just two did eggs hatch, with females being killed at two of them (one by a dog, the other by paochers) (5 Iquabal, P., McGowan, P.J.K., Carroll, J.P. and Rahmani, A.R. (2003). Home range size, habitat use and nesting success of Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis on agricultural land in northern India. Bird Conservation International. 13(2): 127–138 Close ).

VULNERABLE. Occurs in highly fragmented terai grassland. Locally common, but possibly as few as 10,000–20,000 individuals remain BirdLife datazone page , according to figures based on anecdotal information and some surveys. Recently reported from 14 (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) protected areas (wildlife reserves, reserve forests, and national parks, e.g. Dudwa National Park, where known from 20 localities) (7 Javed, S. and Rahmani, A.R. (1998). Conservation of the avifauna of Dudwa National Park, India. Forktail. 14: 55–64. Close ) in N India, ranging in size from 11 km² to 614 km² (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ), although extent of suitable habitat within each is unknown and probably much smaller; suspected to occur at other localities, but surveys needs to be concentrated around dawn or dusk when species is calling and most easily detected (6 McGowan, P.J.K., Javed, S. and Rahmani, A.R. (1995). Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis survey technique: a case study from northern India. Forktail. 11: 101-110. Close ). Surveys in Mar 1998 found species at 24 of 35 visited localities in Uttar Pradesh, with an estimated 136 calling birds in total and c.50 singing birds in grasslands within Pilibhit Reserve Forest (8 Javed, S. (2001). Status and distribution of the Swamp Francolin in the north Indian Terai. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 33: 16. Close ). Remains common in Kaziranga National Park, Assam (9 Barua, M., and P. Sharma (1999). Birds of Kaziranga National Park, India. Forktail 15:47–60. Close ). Recently (1994) recorded for first time in Arunachal Pradesh (10 Singh, P. (1994). Recent bird records from Arunachal Pradesh. Forktail 10:65–104. Close ). In Nepal, where perhaps just < 500 individuals BirdLife datazone page , little suitable habitat now remains; recently recorded at Royal Sukla Phanta and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserves, and Royal Bardia National Park; density of c. 15 birds/km² recorded at Koshi Tappu (11 Dahal, B.R., McGowan, P.J.K. and Browne, S.J. (2009). An assessment of census techniques, habitat use and threats to Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Bird Conservation International. 19(2): 137–147. Close ). Definitely declining outside protected areas due to habitat destruction, and appears for sale in markets in Lucknow from time to time, as is a popular pet in some parts of India. No recent records from Bangladesh, Sikkim or Meghalaya BirdLife datazone page , but could still occur in small numbers. May be dependent upon protected areas for survival in long term, due to drainage of marshy areas for agricultural and other uses elsewhere; current protected area management is designed to benefit ungulates and may be inappropriate for present species. Shuns areas subject to more than light grazing and is perhaps adversely affected by large grass fires during breeding season; recent study recommended that burns be undertaken prior to the main breeding season and limited in extent (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ). Likely to be affected by pesticides in run off, where agriculture is intensive. Currently the subject of a detailed study designed to assess its distribution within and outwith protected areas, to investigate its use of sugarcane plantations and paddies (3 Javed, S., Qureshi, Q. and Rahmani, A.R. (1999). Conservation status and distribution of Swamp Francolin in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96(1): 16-23. Close ), and to propose appropriate management techniques in protected areas.