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African Spurfowl
''Pternistis'' is a genus of galliform birds formerly classified in the spurfowl group of the partridge subfamily of the pheasant family. They are described as "partridge-francolins" in literature establishing their phylogenetic placement outside the monophyletic assemblage of true spurfowls. All species are endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, excepted the double-spurred spurfowl (also present in Morocco). They are commonly known as spurfowls or francolins, but are closely related to jungle bush quail, ''Alectoris'' rock partridges, and ''Coturnix'' quail. The species are strictly monogamous, remaining mated indefinitely. They procure most of their food by digging. Spurfowls subsist almost entirely on roots, beans of leguminous shrubs and trees, tubers, and seeds, and feasting opportunistically on termites, ants, locusts, flowers, and fruit. Important predators are jackals, caracals, servals, and birds of prey, as well as herons and marabou storks. The genus ''Pternistis'' was int ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey-breasted Spurfowl
The grey-breasted spurfowl or grey-breasted francolin (''Pternistis rufopictus'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found only in Tanzania. The grey-breasted spurfowl was described by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow in 1887 and given its current binomial name ''Pternistis rufopictus''. The specific epithet combines the Latin ''rufus'' meaning "red" and ''pictus'' meaning "painted". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2019 found that the grey-breasted spurfowl is sister to the red-necked spurfowl. The species is monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...: no subspecies are recognised. References External links Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the grey-breasted spurfowl Pternistis Endemic birds of Tanzania Birds des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jackal
Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas'') and side-striped jackal (''Lupulella adusta'') of sub-Saharan-Africa, and the golden jackal (''Canis aureus'') of south-central Europe and Asia. The African golden wolf (''Canis lupaster'') was also formerly considered as a jackal. While they do not form a monophyletic clade, all jackals are opportunistic omnivores, predators of small to medium-sized animals and proficient scavengers. Their long legs and curved canine teeth are adapted for hunting small mammals, birds, and reptiles, and their large feet and fused leg bones give them a physique well-suited for long-distance running, capable of maintaining speeds of for extended periods of time. Jackals are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk. Their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latham's Francolin
Latham's francolin (''Peliperdix lathami'') or the forest francolin, is a species of bird in the francolin group of the family Phasianidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Peliperdix''. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. References Latham's francolin Birds of West Africa Birds of Central Africa Latham's francolin Latham's francolin (''Peliperdix lathami'') or the forest francolin, is a species of bird in the francolin group of the family Phasianidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Peliperdix''. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central Afr ... Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Galliformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francolinus
''Francolinus'' is a genus of birds in the francolin group of the tribe Gallini in the pheasant family. Species Its three species range from western Asia and central Asia through to southern Asia and south-eastern Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland .... The species are: References Further reading * Bird genera {{Galliformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Spurfowl
The Cape spurfowl or Cape francolin (''Pternistis capensis'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is endemic to southern Africa, where it is the largest francolin. It occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and locally northwards to southern Namibia. It has adapted to alien vegetation and a variety of human-altered habitats, but scrubby roosting and nesting space is a prerequisite. The species is not threatened. Taxonomy The English ornithologist John Latham described the Cape spurfowl in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds'' in 1783. He used the English name "Cape partridge", but did not introduce a Latin name. Six years later in 1789, when the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin updated Carl Linnaeus's '' Systema Naturae'', he included a terse description of the Cape spurfowl, coined the binomial name ''Tetrao capensis'' and cited Latham's work. The specific epithet ''capensis'' is the Latin for the Cape of Good Hope. The species is now pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray FRS (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother of the zoologist John Edward Gray and the son of the botanist Samuel Frederick Gray. George Gray's most important publication was his ''Genera of Birds'' (1844–49), illustrated by David William Mitchell and Joseph Wolf, which included 46,000 references. Biography He was born in Little Chelsea, London, to Samuel Frederick Gray, naturalist and pharmacologist, and Elizabeth (née Forfeit), his wife. He was educated at Merchant Taylor's School. Gray started at the British Museum as Assistant Keeper of the Zoology Branch in 1831. He began by cataloguing insects, and published an ''Entomology of Australia'' (1833) and contributed the entomogical section to an English edition of Georges Cuvier's ''Animal Kingdom''. Gray described many spec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type Species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen(s). Article 67.1 A similar concept is used for suprageneric groups and called a type genus. In botanical nomenclature, these terms have no formal standing under the code of nomenclature, but are sometimes borrowed from zoological nomenclature. In botany, the type of a genus name is a specimen (or, rarely, an illustration) which is also the type of a species name. The species name that has that type can also be referred to as the type of the genus name. Names of genus and family ranks, the various subdivisions of those ranks, and some higher-rank names based on genus names, have such types. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic period (), and the Classical period (). Ancient Greek was the language of Homer and of fifth-century Athenian historians, playwrights, and philosophers. It has contributed many words to English vocabulary and has been a standard subject of study in educational institutions of the Western world since the Renaissance. This article primarily contains information about the Epic and Classical periods of the language. From the Hellenistic period (), Ancient Greek was followed by Koine Greek, which is regarded as a separate historical stage, although its earliest form closely resembles Attic Greek and its latest form approaches Medieval Greek. There were several regional dialects of Ancient Greek, of which Attic Greek developed into Koine. Dia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pternistis Adspersus
The red-billed spurfowl (''Pternistis adspersus''), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Males are larger, measuring in length and weighing , whereas females measure in length and weigh . The species has barred underparts (in contrast to the related Natal spurfowl) and a conspicuous yellow eye-ring.McGowan, P.J.K. & Kirwan, G.M. (2017). Red-billed Francolin (Pternistis adspersus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53412 on 22 May 2017). Taxonomy The red-billed spurfowl was described in 1838 by the English naturalist George Robert Waterhouse from specimens collected by James Edward Alexander on his expedition to Namaqualand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pternistis Swainsonii
Swainson's spurfowl or Swainson's francolin (''Pternistis swainsonii'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In the Shona language in Zimbabwe, this bird is called the ''chikwari'' or horwe and is considered a delicacy by outdoor and hunting enthusiasts. Swainson's spurfowl was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist. Taxonomy Swainson's spurfowl was described in 1836 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith and given the binomial name ''Perdix swainsonii''. Smith noted that the spurfowl inhabited the banks of the rivers beyond Kurrichaine (Kaditshwene), the modern province of Limpopo in South Africa. The specific epithet ''swainsonii'' was chosen to honour the English naturalist William John Swainson. The species is now placed in the genus ''Pternistis'' that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. Swainson's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marabou Stork
The marabou stork (''Leptoptilos crumenifer'') is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". Taxonomy The marabou stork was formally described in 1831 by the French naturalist René Lesson. He placed it in the stork genus '' Ciconia'' and coined the binomial name ''Ciconia crumenifera''. He specified that locality as Senegal. The species is now placed with the lesser adjutant and the greater adjutant in the genus ''Leptoptilos'' that Lesson had introduced at the same time he described the marabou stork. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The common name marabou is thought to be derived from the Arabic word '' murābit'' meaning quiet or hermit-like. The spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus'' are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron, or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus ''Zebrilus'', form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets do not form a biologically distinct group from herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught with difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, '' Ardea'' and ''Egretta''. Similarly, the relationships of the genera in the family are not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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