Grey Francolin
A species of True Francolins Scientific name : Ortygornis pondicerianus Genus : True Francolins
Grey Francolin, A species of True Francolins
Botanical name: Ortygornis pondicerianus
Genus: True Francolins
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Description People often ask General Info
Photo By Rakeshkdogra , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
This bird is a medium-sized francolin, with males averaging 11.6–13.4 in (29–34 cm) and females averaging 10.2–11.9 in (26–30 cm). The males weigh 9–12 oz (260–340 g) whereas the weight of the females is 7–11 oz (200–310 g). The francolin is barred throughout and the face is pale with a thin black border to the pale throat. The only similar species is the painted francolin, which has a rufous vent. The male can have up to two spurs on the legs while females usually lack them. Subspecies mecranensis is palest and found in arid North-Western India, Eastern Pakistan and Southern Iran. Subspecies interpositus is darker and intermediate found in northern India. The nominate race in the southern peninsula of India has populations with a darker rufous throat, supercilium and is richer brown. They are weak fliers and fly short distances, escaping into undergrowth after a few spurts of flight. In flight it shows a chestnut tail and dark primaries. The race in Sri Lanka is sometimes given the name ceylonensis or considered as belonging to the nominate. 
Size
30-36 cm (12-14 in)
Colors
Brown
Gray
White
Life Expectancy
8 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Grey Francolin primarily feeds on seeds, grains, and insects like termites and beetles, occasionally preying on larger animals like snakes.
Habitat
Grey Francolin inhabit environments such as grasslands, semi-thorny scrubs, and dry plains, often near farmlands. They thrive in semi-arid zones from sea level to moderate elevations across South Asia, with a higher range in regions like Pakistan and Arabia. In areas of introduction, they persist in diverse scrublands, savannas, dry forests, and altered landscapes including golf courses.
Dite type
Granivorous
People often ask
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
The loud calls of the birds are commonly heard early in the mornings. Pairs of birds will sometimes engage in a duet. The female call is a tee...tee...tee repeated and sometimes a kila..kila..kila and the challenge call kateela..kateela..kateela is a duet. They are usually seen in small groups. The main breeding season is April to September and the nest is a hidden scrape on the ground. The nest may sometimes be made above ground level in a niche in a wall or rock. The clutch is six to eight eggs, but larger clutches, potentially reflecting intraspecific brood parasitism, have been noted. Food includes seeds, grains as well as insects, particularly termites and beetles (especially Tenebrionidae and Carabidae). They may occasionally take larger prey such as snakes. They roost in groups in low thorny trees. Several species of feather mites, helminth and blood parasites have been described from the species.
Distribution Area
The grey francolin is normally found foraging on bare or low grass covered ground in scrub and open country, and is rarely found above an altitude of 500 m above sea level in India, and 1200 m in Pakistan. The distribution is south of the foothills of the Himalayas westwards to the Indus Valley and eastwards to Bengal. It is also found in north-western Sri Lanka. Introduced populations are found in the Andaman and Chagos Islands. They have been introduced to Nevada in the United States of America and Hawaii, along with several other species of francolin.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
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