FRANCOLINS IN GENERAL 
Francolins are partridge-like birds resident in Asia and Africa. 
The genus Francolinus to which they belong, is extremely large, con- 
sisting of 34 species and 81 subspecies. Closely-allied are the bare- 
throated francolins or spurfowl (Pternistis) of which 4 species and 19 
subspecies, all found in Africa, are recognized. All are classified as 
game birds, some of which are locally held in very high regard. Rather 
curiously, they are with few exceptions little known among aviculturalists 
and sportsmen in the New World. 
Five species and 12 subspecies of francolins are found in southern 
Asia. Such speciation suggests that this group might be adapted to many 
different habitats. Accordingly these birds were rather carefully eval- 
uated by Foreign Game Introduction Program biologists assigned to study 
the great variety of game birds resident there. 
Though francolins are present from Turkey and Israel eastwards, the 
center of distribution is the Indian sub-continent into which, in the 
distant past, they possibly extended their range from Africa. Among the 
British, during their long occupation of India, were a number of keen 
students of birds. The written observations of such ornithologists as 
Hume and Baker, provided a welcome background of taxonomic and life his- 
tory material which aided Program biologists in eliminating all but the 
black and the gray francolin from consideration as potential candidates 
for trial introduction into the United States. 
The black francolin was originally a grassland species which has 
adapted itself very successfully to cultivation, particularly about 
watercourses in areas where the rainfall does not exceed 15 inches per 
year. it also thrives in a wider variety of habitats under higher pre- 
cipitation, The gray francolin is more of a semi-barren or range land 
species which similarly takes to cultivation and stubble fields where 
the vegetation is not dense or is open beneath. 
This report supplements the Game Bird Data Sheets, previously pre- 
pared, covering these species. It is based on a comprehensive review 
of the literature and on field observations of these birds from Turkey 
to India. Emphasis is placed on points salient to the consideration of 
each species for trial introduction including the general habitats in 
various States in which either or both might well be worth a trial. 
Taxonomy and Distribution 
The francolins, as currently classified, represent a very large, 
rather heterogeneous assortment of game birds. Peters (37) indicated 
that the genus Francolinus "could probably be dismembered to advantage" 
but the only substantial revision suggested to date has been by Roberts 
(43) who reclassified the species resident in South Africa into five new 
