Amount of Precipitation 
Precipitation within the range of the species can be indicated only 
in general terms. Even at points, closely situated and at about the same 
elevation, substantial differences often occur (16). For many areas in 
southern Asia, weather records are inaccurate or nonexistent. Considerable 
time has been expended on the selection of 30 stations, widely scattered 
over the entire range of the gray francolin, as the basis for an analysis 
of monthly temperatures and precipitation (23 and 33). Yearly rainfall 
recorded varied from 2.0 to 58.1 inches per year; monthly, from 0.0 to 19.4 
inches. Dry periods were the rule. At 2 stations no rain was recorded 
for 7 months. At 18 stations, there were7 months or more in which rain 
was 0.5 inches or less. On the wetter side 9 stations recorded 1.0 inch, 
or more, for each of 6 months of the year, and at 9 stations, rainfall 
exceeded 3.0 inches for 4 to 5 consecutive months. Precipitation was ex- 
cessive at 4 stations, at which over 10 inches of rain per month was re- 
corded for 2 consecutive months. On the basis of annual precipitation 
the situation is as follows: 
Number Average annual 
of precipitation 
Stations in inches 
7 below 5.0 
7 5.9 to 10.0 
4 10.1 to 15.0 
1 15.1 to 20.0 
5 20.1 to 30.0 
2 30.1 to 40.0 
4 over 40.1 
So long as the general vegetative pattern is dry in character, 
gray francolins will withstand extreme variations in rainfall without 
noticeable difficulty. For example, at 2 stations there were 7 con- 
secutive months without rain; and 3 others, monsoon deluges brought the 
averages for 3 consecutive months up to 35.4, 47.1 and 51.8 inches 
respectively. 
Patterns of precipitation 
The overall pattern of precipitation, with a few exceptions, is 
one of long periods of scanty rainfall interrupted by 3. to 4 months of 
moderate to heavy downpours. In general, the driest periods are March 
to April and November to December; the wettest are June through Septem- 
ber. The following four patterns are evident: 
1. Light precipitation, mainly in winter and early spring. In 
amount this may vary from 1.3 to 4.7 inches for a three month period. 
The rest of the year is much drier. This pattern is characteristic of 
most of the range of the Makran gray francolin (F.p. mecranensis). 
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