Description 
Field Identification 
Black francolins are partridge-like birds, about twice the size of 
the bobwhite quail, found in crops or tall grasslands and attracting 
attention by their extraordinary cicada-like call. Both sexes have a 
peculiar scaled type of coloration on the top and sides of the body. 
The male is particularly conspicuous for its black underparts, often 
boldly spotted or streaked with white, prominent white cheeks, and 
chestnut neck collar. 
Key to Subspecies 
Stuart Baker (4), who wrote The Game Birds of India, Burma and 
Ceylon, provided a key to and description of species and subspecies of 
the black francolin group resident in the Indian subcontinent. The 
following is adapted from this, supplemented by personal observation: 
Quills transversely barred or spotted with buff on both webs - 
black francolins. 
A. Scapulars with conspicuous, buff, submarginal band 
a. Males with chestnut collar; females with chestnut 
nape patch 
b. Many large white spots on breast. F. f. francolinus 
b' White spots tending to become more ‘like stripes; 
paler. F. £. henrici, F. £. arabistanicus, 
F. £, bogdanovi (a) 
b'' White spots largely replaced with stripes; 
darker. F. £. asiae 
b''' White spots or stripes much less conspicuous; 
darkest with much black above and below. 
F. £, melanonotus 
a' No chestnut collar or patch 
c. Color generally dark F. p. pictus 
c' Color generally pale : F. p. pallidus 
A' No submarginal buff band on scapulars fF. chinensis 
(a) Baker unites arabistanicus, bogdanovi and henrici 
