The 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.
