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Red Spurfowl

Conservation status

Least Concern

Population Trend

Stable

Alternate Names

-

Native Habitat

Forests

Diet

Seeds, Berries, Molluscs, Insects

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Red Spurfowl

Galloperdix spadicea

The red spurfowl is a member of the pheasant family and is endemic to India. It is a bird of forests, and is quite secretive despite its size. It has a distinctive call and is often hard to see except for a few seconds when it flushes from the undergrowth. It appears reddish and like a long-tailed partridge. The bare skin around the eye is reddish. The legs of both males and females have one or two spurs, which give them their name.

Overall reddish-brown, this large partridge-like bird has a somewhat long tail. The upper parts are brown with dark barring while the face and neck are more grey in the male. The underside is rufous with dark markings and both sexes have a red facial skin patch and red legs with one or two spurs. Both sexes have long feathers on the crown that can be erected into a crest.

Regional Names
  • Gujarati:
    ચોખર
  • Hindi:
    छोटी जंगली मुर्गी
  • Kannada:
    ಕೆಂ ಚಿಟ್ಟುಕೋಳಿ
  • Malayalam:
    ചെമ്പൻ മുള്ളൻ കോഴി
  • Marathi:
    लाल चकोत्री
  • Tamil:
    சுண்டங்கோழி
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Taxanomy

GALLIFORMES
PHASIANIDAE
Galloperdix spadicea

Quick Facts
  • They swallow grit to aid digestion.