Gray-winged Francolin Scleroptila afra Scientific name definitions

The Gray-winged Francolin is endemic to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, where it is a locally common resident and principally inhabits montane grassland at 1,800‒2,750 m, although the species also occurs around sea level in southwest Cape Province. Its plumage is gray-brown with narrow bars on the underparts, less rufous on the wings, and a mottled whitish throat, which are the principal field marks to separate the species from Red-winged Francolin (Scleroptila levaillantii), Orange River Francolin (Scleroptila gutturalis), and Shelley's Francolin (Scleroptila shelleyi). The Gray-winged Francolin was formerly treated as conspecific with the Moorland Francolin (Scleroptila psilolaema) of high elevations in northeast Africa, and recent genetic analyses suggest that these two species are sister to one another. Scleroptila afra is usually observed in small family parties, occasionally larger groups of up to 25 individuals, walking on the ground looking for bulbs and tubers, from where it is easily flushed.