Hildebrandt's Francolin
Pternistis hildebrandti
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyPhasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
- GenusPternistis (African Spurfowl)
- SpeciesPternistis hildebrandti (Hildebrandt's Francolin)
About the Hildebrandt's Francolin
Hildebrandt's spurfowl (Pternistis hildebrandti) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. The species is named for Johann Maria Hildebrandt, who collected the first specimens in Kenya. The sexes differ markedly in their plumage and females are smaller than males.
Hildebrandt's spurfowl was described in 1878 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis based on specimens collected by the zoologist Johann Maria Hildebrandt in the Taita–Taveta County of Kenya. Cabanis honoured Hildebrandt and coined the scientific name Francolinus (Scleroptera) hildebrandti. The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. A phylogenetic study published in 2019 found that Hildebrandt's spurfowl is sister to the Natal spurfowl.
Two subspecies are recognised: P. h. hildebrandti (Cabanis, 1878) — Kenya, north and west Tanzania, southeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeast Zambia P. h. johnstoni (Shelley, 1894) — southeast Tanzania, north Mozambique, Malawi Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Hildebrandt's Francolin in Ruaha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ruaha National Park
Red-necked Francolin
Pternistis afer
Yellow-necked Francolin
Pternistis leucoscepus
Scaly Francolin
Pternistis squamatus
Crested Francolin
Ortygornis sephaena
Shelley's Francolin
Scleroptila shelleyi
Harlequin Quail
Coturnix delegorguei
Coqui Francolin
Campocolinus coqui
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnix
Red-wing Francolin
Scleroptila levaillantii
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Crested Guineafowl
Guttera pucherani
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 10 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 11 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 16 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 18 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 19 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Hildebrandt's Francolin in Ruaha National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hildebrandt's Francolin sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Hildebrandt's Francolin in Ruaha National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Hildebrandt's Francolin in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.