Painted Francolin vs Finsch's Francolin
Francolinus pictus compared with Scleroptila finschi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Painted Francolin | Finsch's Francolin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Francolinus pictus | Scleroptila finschi |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) | 32.5 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 291.0 g (10.26 oz) | 570.0 g (20.11 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, grain, invertebrates, and plant material; forages in dry grass and scrubby areas of … | Feeds on seeds, roots, invertebrates, and plant material in southern African savanna grassland. |
| Clutch Size | 4-8 | 5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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 …
Finsch's Francolin
Harsh, insistent 'kree-kree-KREEK' calls from W African rocky terrain; larger and slightly deeper than related francolins. Alarm is rapid loud cackling. Contact calls soft low clucks between birds.
Geographic Range & Migration
Painted Francolin
Endemic to India; resident of open scrub, dry grassland, and farmland across most of peninsular India.
Finsch's Francolin
Resident of montane grassland and rocky hillsides in Angola (Serra da Chela and related escarpments); highly restricted range.
Conservation Status
Painted Francolin
Finsch's Francolin
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Finsch's Francolin
Pale greyish-brown above with buff streaking; white underparts with heavy black streaking throughout; white supercilium; white throat; rufous primaries visible in flight; red legs. Larger Scleroptila species.
About These Birds
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.
Finsch's Francolin
A large Phasianidae francolin (~570 g) of arid and semi-arid rocky hillsides in southwestern Africa. Pale grey-brown with bold chestnut-streaked flanks. Pairs or small groups forage for seeds, roots, and invertebrates. Tolerates harsh dry conditions; locally common in Namibia and Angola. Least Concern.