The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family,
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
. It is
critically endangered and found only in
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
, a nation in the
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
. This species is grayish-brown overall with white stripes and streaks on its underparts which become finer towards the upperparts. It has black markings on the head and a gray crown and has a short tail. It is in length, and weighs .
Its natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
is high altitude
subtropical or tropical dry forest
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
composed primarily of
African juniper. However, the juniper forests preferred by the spurfowl are dying, so it may be found in other habitats, such as
box-tree
''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood.
The boxes are native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with ...
forest. This bird is only known from two locations in Djibouti, one of which is largely unsurveyed. It can be found in small groups and is extremely shy. It is known to feed on berries, seeds, and termites, and it breeds between December and February. It is considered a
critically endangered species because it underwent a 90% population decline in twenty years. The degrading of its juniper habitat through man-made disturbances, such as
overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
, is a major threat to the spurfowl's survival. Ongoing conservation work includes the restoration of some juniper forest, and surveys to obtain accurate population counts and to raise awareness.
Taxonomy
Birds in the family
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
, such as the Djibouti spurfowl, are
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
ground-dwelling gamefowl, many of which are found in forest.
African spurfowls are placed in the genus ''
Pternistis
''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 out ...
''. They are
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
birds that feed on insects, vegetable matter, and
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s. Most species have a hooked upper beak, tails with fourteen feathers, and in many of them the male has tarsal spurs.
The Djibouti spurfowl was originally collected on February 22, 1952, by Captain Albospeyre, the military commander of
Tadjoura
Tadjoura ( aa, Tagórri; ar, تاجوراء ''Tağūrah''; so, Tajuura) is one of the oldest towns in Djibouti and the capital of the Tadjourah Region. The town evolved into an early Islamic center with the arrival of Muslims shortly after the ...
in the Forêt du Day.
It was then described by French ornithologists
Jean Dorst
Jean Dorst (7 August 1924 – 8 August 2001) was a French ornithologist.
Dorst was born at Mulhouse and studied biology and paleontology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Paris. In 1947 he joined the staff of the Muséum national d' ...
and
Christian Jouanin
Christian Jouanin (1925 – 8 November 2014) was a prominent French ornithologist and expert on petrels. He worked for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris and is a former Vice President of the International Union for Conservat ...
later that year as ''Francolinus ochropectus'' in ''L'Oiseau et la Revue française d'Ornithologie''.
[Urban 1986, p. 65] Its specific epithet is derived from the
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 peri ...
''ochros'', which means "ochre",
and the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''pectus'', meaning "breast". The Djibouti spurfowl is now placed in the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Pternistis
''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 out ...
'' that was introduced by the German naturalist
Johann Georg Wagler
Johann Georg Wagler (28 March 1800 – 23 August 1832) was a German herpetologist and ornithologist.
Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and gave lectures in zoology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich after it was moved ...
in 1832.
The distinctness of this species has been described as weak by some authors,
although its status as a full species has been maintained.
It forms a
superspecies with
Jackson's spurfowl
Jackson's spurfowl or Jackson's francolin (''Pternistis jacksoni'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Kenya and Uganda. Its preferred habitats include mountainous forests and stands of bamboo.
The species is named aft ...
,
handsome spurfowl
The handsome spurfowl (''Pternistis nobilis'') is a species of bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is a large, up to 35 cm long, terrestrial forest bird with a dark reddish brown plumage, grey head, red bill and legs, brown iris, bare ...
,
chestnut-naped spurfowl
The chestnut-naped spurfowl (''Pternistis castaneicollis'') is a species of bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. At in length and weighing , it is a large species of spurfowl.
It is found in Ethiopia and Somaliland. The population is believ ...
, and
Erckel's spurfowl
Erckel's spurfowl (''Pternistis erckelii''), also known as Erckel's francolin, is a species of game bird in the family Phasianidae.
Taxonomy
Erckel's spurfowl was described in 1935 by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell from specimens colle ...
;
A
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study published in 2019 found that the Djibouti spurfowl was
sister
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
to Erckel's spurfowl.
The Djibouti spurfowl has no recognized
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
.
[
This species has formerly been named as the ochre-breasted francolin, the Tadjoura francolin, and the pale-bellied francolin.] To the native people of Djibouti, it is known as the ''kukaaqe''.
Description
This spurfowl is a large, rotund bird of approximately in length and in weight. It is grayish-brown overall with white stripes and streaks on its underparts which become finer toward the head. The bird is darker on its back than on its underside. The nape has a hint of rufous, while the top of the head is gray. The forehead, lore, and eye stripe form a black mask, and the chin and throat are whitish. The eyes are brown.[Urban 1986, p. 66] The feathers on the body and neck have a gold or straw-colored center that is bordered with dark brown and edged in white. The tail is short. The bill is black with some yellow on the lower mandible, and the Djibouti spurfowl's legs are a greenish-yellow.
The sexes are similar, although the male averages slightly larger than the female and has two prominent spurs on the legs, whereas the female is virtually unspurred. The female also has more rufous in its tail. The juvenile resembles the adults, but is duller, with buff barring, rather than streaking, on the underparts.[
The call of this species is a rattling ''erk erk erk-kkkkkkkk'' that descends into a chuckling gurgle.] Feeding birds may give a low conversational clucking.[
No other spurfowl share this bird's restricted range (although the ]yellow-necked spurfowl
The yellow-necked spurfowl or yellow-necked francolin (''Pternistis leucoscepus'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. This species is named for ...
occurs elsewhere in Djibouti) so it is unlikely to be confused with any other species.[
]
Distribution and habitat
The Djibouti spurfowl is endemic to Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
, a nation in eastern Africa, and is known from only two locations. One is the Forêt du Day in the Goda Mountains
The Goda Mountains lie northwest of the Gulf of Tadjoura, Tadjoura Region in Djibouti. They rise to above sea level and are the nation's largest heavily vegetated area and is the second highest point in Djibouti. The name Goda in Afar means "twis ...
, approximately north of the Gulf of Tadjoura
The Gulf of Tadjoura (; ) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa. It lies south of the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or the entrance to the Red Sea, at . The gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pea ...
. This site is only and is undergoing habitat changes. The other site is located in the Mabla Mountains
The Mabla Mountains (variants: Monti Mabla, Monts Mabla) are a mountain range in the northern Obock and Tadjoura Region of Djibouti. The endemic Djibouti spurfowl makes its home here as well as in the Forêt du Day. With a mean height of 1370 m ...
, which are northeast of the Forêt du Day and remain unsurveyed. This site has been exposed to more human disturbance than the Forêt du Day, and is therefore considered less viable. Combined, the total estimated range of this bird is .
This spurfowl prefers dense African juniper woodland with a closed canopy between in elevation, and preferably on a plateau. Mixed in with this forest habitat are box-tree
''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood.
The boxes are native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with ...
s (''Buxus hildebrandtii'') and African olives (''Olea europaea africana''). This spurfowl has been found in secondary woodland
A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...
, box-tree woodlands (''Buxus hildebrandtii''), and acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
woodland (''Acacia seyal''). It is also known to venture into more open woodland and wadis
Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...
following the breeding season.[ ] Much of the bird's African juniper forest habitat has been damaged or destroyed due to human usage; the ability of this dead woodland to support the Djibouti spurfowl remains unknown, although some juveniles have been seen in it. It is believed that the birds are reacting to the destruction of their juniper habitat by trying to find habitat as close to it as possible. It has been noted that due to the decline of the juniper, ''Buxus hildebrandtii'' is now the dominant tree in areas most frequently inhabited by the spurfowl.
Ecology and behavior
This species lives in small groups and is very shy, often remaining in dense vegetation to avoid detection, and therefore its ecology is very little studied. It is believed that the spurfowl may migrate from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and juniper forest in the warmer months.[ ] Its main predator is the common genet
The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast ...
. The bird is most active and most likely to call between 6 am and 9 am. After this it may spend most of the day perched motionless in a tree up to above the ground. It eats berries, seeds, termites and figs. It scratches the ground to collect seeds and, when it finds an area disturbed by warthog
''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...
s, also scratches the ground for termites. It is monogamous and breeds between December and February.
Only one nest has been recorded; this was located on a mountain ledge, and was a shallow grass-lined depression in the earth. These birds roost in nearby trees at heights of . It is probably monogamous
Monogamy ( ) is a form of Dyad (sociology), dyadic Intimate relationship, relationship in which an individual has only one Significant other, partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (Monogamy#Serial monogamy, ...
, and local people say that the clutch is typically 7–9 eggs, but this is unconfirmed.[
]
Conservation
This species is considered critically endangered by the IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
because it underwent a 90% population decrease over twenty years. In 1977, there were an estimated 5600 birds in Forêt du Day, which was the only known location for the species at the time. By 1986, this number had dropped to 1500 individuals. The species was discovered at its second site in the Mabla Mountains
The Mabla Mountains (variants: Monti Mabla, Monts Mabla) are a mountain range in the northern Obock and Tadjoura Region of Djibouti. The endemic Djibouti spurfowl makes its home here as well as in the Forêt du Day. With a mean height of 1370 m ...
in 1986. While the population in the Mabla Mountains has yet to be surveyed, numbers in the Forêt du Day continued to drop, with 500–1000 Djibouti spurfowls recorded in 1998 and only 115–135 in 2004. The total world population in 2006 was estimated to be between 612 and 723 adults.
This species is threatened because of habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
. At the Forêt du Day site, 95% of its preferred juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
habitat is dead or dying and is unable to support this bird. While an overarching reason behind this destruction remains unknown, overgrazing by cattle, camels, and goats is believed to have been a significant contributor, along with rain, climate change, and a fungal disease
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...
. Hunting, the gathering of firewood, egg collecting, and general human disturbance are also believed to be threats. At the Mabla Mountains site, the habitat is also being degraded by the collection of firewood and overgrazing.
In 1937, part of the Forêt du Day site was set aside as Day Forest National Park
Day Forest National Park, also known as Forêt du Day National Park, is a national park in the Goda Mountains and Tadjourah Region of Djibouti.
Flora
Along with Mount Mabla, the Forêt du Day National Park is one of Djibouti's two remnant area ...
; this designation is no longer valid. There have been studies of the area and the related environmental and economic issues involved; very few of the suggestions made by these surveys have been implemented, partially due to the unrest in Djibouti since the early 1990s. In May 2008, of forest near the village of Day were set aside for a tree nursery in an attempt to restore some of the spurfowl's damaged habitat. Surveys are under way to determine population sizes and current range, including plans to survey the largely unknown site in the Mabla Mountains and potentially suitable areas in between the two known sites. A promotional campaign in local schools took place in 2008 to raise awareness for the species.
Relationship with humans
The majority of native people in areas surrounding the spurfowl's range believe that the species is important, either because of its meat, which may be eaten by the Muslims who comprise the predominant religious group of the region, or because it is part of the natural heritage of the region. While the species is rarely eaten today due to its rarity, decades ago the species was so common that it was easily captured when it approached nearby villages.
The Djibouti spurfowl has been featured on two stamps: one in 1989 from Djibouti, and another from the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (FTAI; french: Territoire français des Afars et des Issas) was the name given to present-day Djibouti between 1967 and 1977, while it was still an overseas territory of France. The area was former ...
, which was what Djibouti was known as under French rule, in 1972.
References
Citations
Cited texts
*
Other sources
* Blot, J (1985). "Contribution to our knowledge of the biology and ecology of the pale-bellied Francolin ''Francolinus ochropectus'' Dorst and Jouanin". ''Alauda''. 63(4):244-256.
* Fisher, Zomo S. Y.; Samantha Cartwright, Clive Bealey, Houssein A. Rayaleh, Philip McGowan and E. J. Milner-Gulland (2009). "The Djibouti francolin and juniper forest in Djibouti: the need for both ecosystem and species-specific conservation". ''Ory''x 43:542-551
External links
Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the Djibouti spurfowl
* ttp://www.pheasant.org.uk/page/cons_africa_djibouti Pictures of Djibouti francolin and habitat
{{Good article
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Birds of the Horn of Africa
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Djibouti spurfowl
The Djibouti spurfowl or Djibouti francolin (''Pternistis ochropectus'') is a bird species in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. This species is grayish-bro ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot