Cape spurfowl

The English ornithologist John Latham described the Cape spurfowl in his A General Synopsis of Birds in 1783. He used the English name "Cape partridge", but did not introduce a Latin name.{{ cite book | last=Latham | first=John | author-link=John Latham (ornithologist) | year=1783 | title=A General Synopsis of Birds | volume=2 | publisher=Printed for Benj. White | place=London | pages=756–757 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45943206 }} Six years later in 1789, when the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin updated Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae, he included a terse description of the Cape spurfowl, coined the binomial name Tetrao capensis and cited Latham's work.{{ cite book | last=Gmelin | first=Johann Friedrich | author-link=Johann Friedrich Gmelin| year=1789 | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | edition=13th | volume=1, Part 2 | language=Latin | place=Lipsiae [Leipzig] | publisher=Georg. Emanuel. Beer | page=759 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25750137}} The specific epithet capensis is the Latin for the Cape of Good Hope.{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url=https://archive.org/details/helmdictionarysc00jobl_997 | url-access=limited | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=[https://archive.org/details/helmdictionarysc00jobl_997/page/n89 89] }} The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.{{ cite journal | last=Wagler | first=Johann Georg | author-link=Johann Georg Wagler | year=1832 | title=Neue Sippen und Gattungen der Säugthiere und Vögel | journal=Isis von Oken | at=cols 1218–1235 [1229] | language=German, Latin | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26455534 }}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | year=2020 | title=Pheasants, partridges, francolins | work=IOC World Bird List Version 10.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/pheasants/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=14 February 2020 }} The Cape spurfowl is considered as monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. Its closest relative is the Natal spurfowl, which has a similarly vermiculated plumage.

It is a common resident of the Western Cape's strandveld, renosterveld and fynbos regions, especially at lower altitudes, being replaced at high altitudes by the grey-winged francolin. It is present in the succulent (i.e. westerly) karoo at lower densities, and in the Nama karoo, where it frequents the immediate vicinity of rivers. Its presence in scrub along the banks of the lower Orange and Fish Rivers appears to be a natural phenomenon. It was introduced to Robben Island where it benefits from a parasite-free environment. It forages in altered habitats like parks, croplands, orchards, vineyards, and stands of invasive rooikrans.

The Cape francolin is a bird of scrubby open areas, preferably close to running water. It breeds in spring and early summer, when it is also most vocal. Its nest is a grass-lined scrape under a bush, and six to eight eggs are laid (but sometimes two females will lay in one nest). This species can become very tame if disturbance is limited, and will feed in gardens, by roadsides, or with farmyard chickens. It will run rather than fly if disturbed, but even while quite small, just a few weeks old, it flies readily and strongly when startled or pressed.

The call is a loud {{not a typo|cackalac-cackalac-cackalac}}.

The Cape spurfowl is {{convert|40|-|42|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. The male, at {{convert|600|-|915|g|lb|abbr=on}}, averages larger than the female, at {{convert|435|-|659|g|lb|abbr=on}}.CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), {{ISBN|978-0-8493-4258-5}}. This large spurfowl appears all dark from a distance, apart from the red legs, but when seen closer the plumage is finely vermiculated in grey and white, with a plainer crown and nape.

The sexes are similar in plumage, but the male has two leg spurs, whereas the female has at best one short spur. The juvenile is similar to the adults, but has duller legs and clearer vermiculations. The large, dark francolin is unlikely to be confused with any other species in its range.

{{Reflist}}

{{more footnotes|date=April 2011}}

• Madge and McGowan, Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, {{ISBN|0-7136-3966-0}}
• Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, {{ISBN|1-86872-721-1}}

{{Commons}}

• (Cape spurfowl = ) Cape francolin - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/195.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds]
• [https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Pternistis-capensis Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the Cape spurfowl]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q27074579}}

Category:Pternistis

Category:Birds of Southern Africa

Category:Birds described in 1789

Category:Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin