Nahan's Partridge Ptilopachus nahani Scientific name definitions

NE DRCongo (area bordered by R Aruwimi, R Nepoko and R Semliki) and W & SC Uganda (forests of Budongo, Bugoma and Mabira).

Inhabits dense primary forest (both logged and unlogged), preferring riverine or swampy areas (particularly those that have drier banks) with natural gaps, up to altitude of c. 1500 m, especially in areas with a particularly thick understorey (3 Plumptre, A.J. (1996). Two nests of Nahan’s Francolins in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 3(1): 37–38. Close , 4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ). Records from forest edge and non-forest habitats presumably refer to dispersing or feeding birds. All nests found to date have been found in unlogged areas (5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close ).

Sedentary, although birds are suspected to have home ranges of at least 13 ha (5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close ).

Varied diet, including invertebrates (insects and small molluscs), shoots, seeds (e.g. of Trema orientalis and Measopsis eminii) (5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close ) and bulbs. Scratches leaf litter to find food. Specimens have been obtained by baiting with grain. Groups typically number up to six individuals, more occasionally up to eight.

Territorial call a long series of melodious whistles, gradually increasing in volume and the notes becoming bisyllabic, with a sharp rise at end, “whu..whu..whu...whu..whui..whui..whu-ee..whu-ee..whu-ee...”, lasting 5–20 seconds, usually 7–10. Mainly heard between 07:30 and 08:30 h.

Believed to breed year-round, but most egg-laying is between Jan and Mar and Aug to Nov (based on 60 nests), with birds in breeding condition recorded in Apr (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ). Probably monogamous. Only described nests were in tree hollows, 1 m above ground, or on ground between butresses of trees, especially Cynometra alexandrii, and concealed by vines or epiphytes (3 Plumptre, A.J. (1996). Two nests of Nahan’s Francolins in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 3(1): 37–38. Close , 5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close , 6 Sande, E., Dranzoa, C. and Wegge, P. (2001). Population density of the Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Ostrich. Suppl. 15: 33–37. Close ); clutch of four eggs, pinkish with faint brown or purple speckling (3 Plumptre, A.J. (1996). Two nests of Nahan’s Francolins in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 3(1): 37–38. Close ). No further information.

VULNERABLE. Overall population estimated at 50,000–99,999 birds, with perhaps 40,000 individuals in Uganda in the early 2000s (7 Fuller, R.A., Akite, P., Amuno, J.B., Fuller, C.L., Ofwono, J.M., Proaktor, G. and Ssemmanda, R. (2012). Using playback of vocalisations to survey the Nahan’s francolin, a threatened African forest galliform. Ostrich. 83(1): 1–6. Close ). Presumed to be declining due to loss of habitat and hunting. Known from fewer than ten localities (8 Fuller, R.A., Proaktor, G., Ssemmanda, R., Akite, P., Ofwono, J.M., Amuno, J.B. and Flockhart, C.L. (2007). Current conservation status of Nahan’s Francolin in Uganda. Ostrich. 78(2): 164. Close ). Occurs in Bugoma (401 km²), Kibale (560 km²) and Mabira Forest Reserves (320 km²); population in Semliki Valley is within Virunga National Park, and would be best protected by extension of this park to include E Ituri Forest; however, the species has not yet been confirmed to occur on the Ugandan side of the Semliki (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ). In DRCongo, also known from Maiko and Kahuzi-Biéga National Parks. Considered to be quite common in Mabira and in Budongo Forest Reserve (c. 430 km²), with perhaps as many as 23,000 individuals in latter area alone in late 1990s (6 Sande, E., Dranzoa, C. and Wegge, P. (2001). Population density of the Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Ostrich. Suppl. 15: 33–37. Close ), but Mabira Forest, where the species was rediscovered in 1996 after a gap in records of 74 years (9 Dranzoa, C., Sande, E., Owiunji, I. and Plumptre, A. (1997). A survey of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in two tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 4(2): 90–92. Close ), is now highly degraded and rapid loss of forest (> 30%) there suggests that the francolin population is declining (8 Fuller, R.A., Proaktor, G., Ssemmanda, R., Akite, P., Ofwono, J.M., Amuno, J.B. and Flockhart, C.L. (2007). Current conservation status of Nahan’s Francolin in Uganda. Ostrich. 78(2): 164. Close ). Loss of tree cover due to timber extraction and over-exploitation for food (both adults and eggs) are possible threats (local communities in Uganda consider the species to make particularly good eating and its feathers are also used for decoration) (5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close ), but it has been suggested that habitat destruction is not the threat it was once perceived to be (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ), as highest recorded densities are in forest that has been selectively logged not once but twice within last c. 30 years (6 Sande, E., Dranzoa, C. and Wegge, P. (2001). Population density of the Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Ostrich. Suppl. 15: 33–37. Close ). Species is considered a bad omen in some areas, its appearance around villages being considered a portent of impending human death (5 Dranzoa, C., Nkwasire, J. and Sande, E. (1999). Additional surveys of Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani in the tropical rainforests of Uganda. Bull. African Bird Club. 6(1): 52–55. Close ). A new wave of invasion by ex-army veterans and refugees (arriving from DRCongo) is claiming remaining chunks of Bugoma and Budongo forests, with an estimated 5000 ha of Bugoma subject to encroachment by c. 1000 families and pit-sawyers for settlement in 2011–2012. The exotic tree species Broussonetia papyfera has invaded the E part of Mabira Forest and very few francolins have been found in this habitat. An extensive survey is needed in order to permit assessment of the species’ status in DRCongo.