Great Argus vs Painted Francolin
Argusianus argus compared with Francolinus pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Argus | Painted Francolin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Argusianus argus | Francolinus pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 76.8 cm (30.2 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 1956.25 g (69.00 oz) | 291.0 g (10.26 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous ground forager; eats fallen fruits, seeds, invertebrates, and small animals; scratches leaf litter in … | Eats seeds, grain, invertebrates, and plant material; forages in dry grass and scrubby areas of … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 4-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Argus
Magnificent loud 'qua-WAWW' wailing call echoing through SE Asian rainforest; one of most distinctive tropical bird calls. Male calls from cleared dancing arena. Alarm is explosive barking cackle.
Painted Francolin
Loud, insistent 'ka-TURR-ka' calls from Indian scrub; similar to Black Francolin but slightly higher and less grating. Alarm is rapid cackling cackle. Males call from termite mound or rock at …
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Argus
Resident of lowland and hill forest in peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo, from sea level to 900 m.
Painted Francolin
Endemic to India; resident of open scrub, dry grassland, and farmland across most of peninsular India.
Conservation Status
Great Argus
Painted Francolin
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Argus
Male with enormously elongated secondary feathers bearing large three-dimensional ocelli in tawny-brown, black, and buff; long dark tail; blue and red bare head. Female similar but shorter wings and tail.
Painted Francolin
Richly patterned; black above with large white spots; rufous-orange face and throat; white-spotted black flanks; rufous-chestnut underparts with black shaft streaks. Female lacks rufous on face; duller below.
About These Birds
Great Argus
A large Phasianidae pheasant (~1.96 kg) of Sundaland rainforests. Males possess enormous secondary wing feathers covered with intricate eye-spots used in a remarkable solo lek display. Clears a dancing court on the forest floor. Feeds on fallen fruits, shoots, and invertebrates. Vulnerable from deforestation.
Painted Francolin
A small Phasianidae francolin (~291 g) of rocky hillsides, scrub, and dry grassland across peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Both sexes are intricately spotted and streaked in rufous and white. Shy; detected by resonant calls. Feeds on seeds and invertebrates on the ground. Least Concern; common locally.