Yellow-necked Francolin
Pternistis leucoscepus
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyPhasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
- GenusPternistis (African Spurfowl)
- SpeciesPternistis leucoscepus (Yellow-necked Francolin)
About the Yellow-necked Francolin
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 the yellow patch found on its neck. Males of this species have been noted to have spurs on the back of their legs.
The yellow-necked spurfowl was described in 1867 by the English ornithologist George Robert Gray and given the binomial name Francolinus leucoscepus. The type locality is Ethiopia. The specific epithet leucoscepus combines the Ancient Greek leukos meaning "white" and skepas meaning "covering" or "mantle". The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.
Two subspecies are recognised: P. l. leucoscepus (Gray, GR, 1867) — Eritrea and adjacent north Ethiopia P. l. infuscatus Cabanis, 1868 — north Somalia and Djibouti south through Ethiopia, east South Sudan, south Somalia, northeast Uganda, Kenya and north central Tanzania
It has been noted that this bird is most active at dawn and dusk. The bird is also noted to be very adaptable... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow-necked Francolin in Serengeti National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Serengeti National Park
Grey-breasted Francolin
Pternistis rufopictus
Red-necked Francolin
Pternistis afer
Hildebrandt's Francolin
Pternistis hildebrandti
Scaly Francolin
Pternistis squamatus
Coqui Francolin
Campocolinus coqui
Crested Francolin
Ortygornis sephaena
Harlequin Quail
Coturnix delegorguei
Red Junglefowl
Gallus gallus
Common Peafowl
Pavo cristatus
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnix
Red-wing Francolin
Scleroptila levaillantii
Shelley's Francolin
Scleroptila shelleyi
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 10 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 12 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 16 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 18 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 19 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-necked Francolin in Serengeti National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-necked Francolin sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 141 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow-necked Francolin in Serengeti National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-necked Francolin in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.