Black Francolin

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001. Francolinus francolinus (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonym: Tetrio francolinus Linnaeus, 1766

English name: Black Francolin (Black Partridge) Bangla name: Kala Titir

Description: The Black Francolin is a dark brown, terrestrial bird (length 34 cm, weight 430 g, wing 5 cm, bill 2.4 cm, tarsus 4.8 cm, tail 10 cm). The male differs from the female. The male has jet-lack upperparts  spotted  and bared  with  white  and fulvous. Its face is black and cheek is white. It has a rufous collar, black upper mantle spotted with white and jet-black underparts.  Its  flanks  are boldly spotted with white. The female  has paler and browner upperparts, rufous hind-neck, pale buff 

supercilium and ear-covert and a dark eye-stripe. Its mantle and back are streaked with buff and its chin and throat are buffy-white. The rest of its underparts and flanks are heavily barred and scalloped with black and white. It has chestnut undertail-coverts. Both sexes have brown or hazel-brown irises and a black bill. The legs and feet are bright deep red in the breeding season. The juvenile looks like the female except for its black supercilium and white spotted black breast. Of the 6 known sub-species, F f melanonows occurs in Bangladesh.

Habit: It inhabits the tall grasses, farmlands, tea gardens and scrubs near water. It is usually seen alone  or in  scattered pairs. It  forages on the ground, low shrubs and grasses. feeding on seeds of grass and  weed,  grains,  shoots, fruits  and insects. It is more active at dawn and dusk. Its usual  call  is a  series of high-pitched notes: chik...cheek..cheek-keraykek. It breeds in March-October. The male calls with the neck outstretched and waggles its t ail up and down. It nests on the ground at the base of tall grasses and among thick bushes. The nest is a depression in the ground lined with grass. The female lays 6-9 eggs, 3,8 x 3.1 cm each. The eggs are yellowish-olive to warm olive-brown. The female alone incubates. ncubation takes 18-19 days.

Distribution: It is a rare resident of Bangladesh. It occurs in the deciduous forests and villages of Chittagong and Dhaka Divisions and the far north of Rajshahi  Division. it also occurred in  Sylhet Division. Its global range extends from Turkey eastwards   to   Afghanistan   and   the   Indian 

subcontinent except Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

Status: It is not a globally threatened bird. It is. however. considered Critically Endangered in Bangladesh. It is protected by the Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act. 

Miscellaneous: The scientific name francolintts means little hen (Italian: francolino = a little hen). lEnam U I Hague and tat Shahri. Mahmud) 

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Copy from

Encyclopedia of flora and fauna of  Bangladesh -BIRDS-Volume 26- Page: 01-02.

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