Home > Indian History > Flora & Fauna > Indian Spurfowls
Indian Spurfowls
Red Spurfowl and Painted Spurfowl are the two spurfowls which have been recorded in India.

Share this Article:

Indian SpurfowlsThe Indian Subcontinent provides suitable habitats to various species of birds for residing and reproducing. Spurfowls are no exception in this regard. Red Spurfowl and Painted Spurfowl are the two spurfowls which have been recorded in India. They belong to the kingdom, Animalia; phylum, Chordata; class, Aves; order, Galliformes; family, Phasianidae; subfamily, Perdicinae; and genus, Galloperdix. These spurfowls are described below.

Red Spurfowl
Red Spurfowl is a reddish-brown bird which has been recorded south of the Ganges across India and is endemic to the country. This bird has brown upper body with dark barring and rufous underside with dark markings. Common features in male and female Red Spurfowls are long feathers on the crown that can be erected into a crest, red facial skin patch and red legs. The face and neck of the male bird are more grayish in color. If the bird has an unmarked cinnamon brown head, a dark brown band along the back bordered by creamy stripes, edged with thin lines of dark brown, then it will be called a downy chick. Red Spurfowl depends on fallen seeds, berries, mollusks, etc for survival. The breeding season of the bird ranges from January to June, mainly before the rains.

Painted Spurfowl
Painted Spurfowl has been traced on rocky hills and scrub forests mainly in peninsular India. More specifically, this bird has been recorded in some parts of the Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan, the hills of central India and the rocky hills and dry forest areas of southern India. The male bird has darker upperparts and ochre under parts. White spots edged with black are present on the upper parts and the feathers of the bird. It has black head and neck with a green sheen and chestnut mantle, rump and wing coverts. Its female counterpart is much duller in color. It has rufous brow and ear coverts. Its throat is similar to the male, that is, pale and spotted. Unlike the male bird, the female bird is devoid of white spotting on the body. Painted Spurfowl has dark grey bill and legs. Painted Spurfowl depends on berries insects and flowers for survival. The breeding season of the bird ranges from January to June.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Flora & Fauna


Flora Of Uttarakhand
Uttaranchal falls under the west Himalayan Biogeography zone and it is well-known for floral diversity .
Flora and Fauna of Ladakh
Flora and Fauna is typical to t he kind of mountainous terrain which dominate the entire landscape of the region. Though some varieties of fauna are to be found here, the vegetation is very limited due to the dry and cold climate.
Flora and fauna in Tripura
Two-thirds of Tripura is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna in Meghalaya
70 percent of Meghalaya is forested. Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Faunal species found here are leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat; varieties of snakes, bats, lizards etc.
Flora and fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Economy of this region is primly based on agriculture. In Andaman island, paddy is the main food crop, while in Nicoabar island coconut and areca nut are the main crops. Some field crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are also grown here.
Flora And Fauna Of Uttar Pradesh
Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh is widely diversified and adds pride to the state.
Flora and fauna of Kerala
Flora and Fauna of Kerala are diverse. The favourable climate with heavy rainfall and good quality of the soils helps both the flora and fauna to thrive. Forest covers a large area in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Flora and fauna of Karnataka
Flora and fauna of Karnataka are diverse and comprise of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Flora of Karnataka comprises of species like eucalyptus, teak and rosewood. Fauna of Karnataka comprises of species like leopard, gaur and wild pig.
Flora and Fauna of Rajasthan
The flora and fauna of Rajasthan supports all kinds of animal species and forests. The diverse flora and fauna of Rajasthan has made it a popular tourist destination.
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh includes infinite species and is a subject of great interests for the botanists.
Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Flora and fauna of Manipur are known to be the assemblage of a huge variety including the endangered ones. The place is especially famed for orchid species which includes the most vibrant and beautiful ones of the world.