Swierstra's spurfowl (''Pternistis swierstrai'') is a species of
bird 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 ...
. It is found only in
Angola in the rapidly shrinking
Afromontane
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions ...
forests of peaks such as
Mount Moco and Mount Soque.
Its natural
habitat is subtropical or tropical moist
montane forests. It is threatened by
habitat loss.
The scientific name commemorates the South African entomologist
Cornelis Jacobus Swierstra.
Taxonomy
Swierstra's spurfowl was described in 1929 by the South African zoologist
Austin Roberts Austin Roberts may refer to:
* Austin Roberts (American football) (born 1995), American football tight end
*Austin Roberts (singer) (born 1945), American singer and songwriter
*Austin Roberts (zoologist)
Austin Roberts (3 January 1883 – 5 May ...
from a specimen that had been collected in Mombola, Angola. He coined the
binomial name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''Chaetopus swierstrai'', choosing the
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
to honour the South African entomologist
Cornelis Jacobus Swierstra. The species is now placed in the
genus ''
Pternistis'' that was introduced by the German naturalist
Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.
Swierstra's spurfowl is
monotypic: no
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 ...
are recognised.
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References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet.
Swierstra's spurfowl
Swierstra's spurfowl (''Pternistis swierstrai'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found only in Angola in the rapidly shrinking Afromontane forests of peaks such as Mount Moco and Mount Soque.
Its natural habitat is subtropic ...
Endemic birds of Angola
Swierstra's spurfowl
Swierstra's spurfowl (''Pternistis swierstrai'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found only in Angola in the rapidly shrinking Afromontane forests of peaks such as Mount Moco and Mount Soque.
Its natural habitat is subtropic ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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