Ptilopachus

The genus Ptilopachus was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalist William Swainson to accommodate a single species, the stone partridge, which is therefore the type species.{{ cite book | last=Swainson | first=William | author-link=William Swainson | year=1837 | title=On the Natural History and Classification of Birds | volume=2 | location=London | publisher=Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman and John Taylor | page=344 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41945122 }}{{ cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1934 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=2 | publisher=Harvard University Press | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=104 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14482917 }} The genus name is from Ancient Greek ptilon meaning "feather" with pakhus meaning "thick" or "dense".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010 | title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=323 | url=https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n323/mode/1up }}

As traditionally defined, only the stone partridge was included in this genus, but based on genetic evidence, it now also includes Nahan's partridge (formerly considered a francolin). The study also concludes that this genus is more closely related to the New World quails (Odontophoridae) and might be considered their only African representative.{{Cite journal | last1=Crowe | first1=T.M. | last2=Bowie | first2=R.C.K. | last3=Bloomer | first3=P. | last4=Mandiwana | first4=T.G. | last5=Hedderson | first5=T.A.J. | last6=Randi | first6=E. | last7=Pereira | first7=S.L. | last8=Wakeling | first8=J. | date=2006 | title=Phylogenetics, biogeography and classification of, and character evolution in, gamebirds (Aves: Galliformes): effects of character exclusion, data partitioning and missing data | journal=Cladistics | volume=22 | issue=6 | pages=495–532 | doi=10.1111/j.1096-0031.2006.00120.x | pmid=34892896 | doi-access=free| hdl=2263/14099 | hdl-access=free }}{{Cite journal | last1=Cohen | first1=C. | last2=Wakeling | first2=J.L. | last3=Mandiwana-Neudani | first3=T.G. | last4=Sande | first4=E. | last5=Dranzoa | first5=C. | last6=Crowe | first6=T.M. | last7=Bowie | first7=R.C.K. | date=2012 | title=Phylogenetic affinities of evolutionarily enigmatic African galliforms: the Stone partridge Ptilopachus petrosus and Nahan's francolin Francolinus nahani, and support for their sister relationship with New World quails | journal=Ibis | volume=154 | issue=4 | pages=768–780 | doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.2012.01269.x}}{{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 | date=January 2022 | title=Megapodes, guans, guineafowl, New World quail | work=IOC World Bird List Version 12.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/megapodes/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=5 July 2022 }}

At about {{convert|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, both are relatively small, terrestrial birds with a red eye-ring, base of the bill, and legs, and brownish upperparts.McGowan, P. J. K. (1994). Francolins (genus Francolinus). Pp. 489–504 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. eds. (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. {{ISBN|84-87334-15-6}}

• Donacobius, the only American species of an otherwise Old World bird lineage

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{{Pangalliformes|Ph.|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Bird genera

Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa

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