NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Red-billed Francolin
Pternistis adspersus (Waterhouse, 1838)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Males are larger, measuring 38 cm (15 in) in length and weighing 340–635 g (12.0–22.4 oz), whereas females measure 33 cm (13 in) in length and weigh 340–549 g (12.0–19.4 oz). The species has barred underparts (in contrast to the related Natal spurfowl) and a conspicuous yellow eye-ring.
Wikipedia contributors, Red-billed spurfowl; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:44:33.304860+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pternistis adspersus (Waterhouse, 1838)
- Name authority
- (Waterhouse, 1838)
- Common name
- Red-billed Francolin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Pternistis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderGalliformes
- familyPhasianidae
- genusPternistis Wagler, 1832
- speciesPternistis adspersus (Waterhouse, 1838)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pternistis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Double-spurred FrancolinPternistis bicalcaratus (Linnaeus, 1766) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chestnut-naped FrancolinPternistis castaneicollis (Salvadori, 1888) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Clapperton's FrancolinPternistis clappertoni (Children & Vigors, 1826) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hartlaub's FrancolinPternistis hartlaubi (Barboza du Bocage, 1869) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Harwood's FrancolinPternistis harwoodi (Blundell & Lovat, 1899) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jackson's FrancolinPternistis jacksoni (Ogilvie-Grant, 1891) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-necked SpurfowlPternistis leucoscepus (G. R. Gray, 1867) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Handsome FrancolinPternistis nobilis (Reichenow, 1908) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray-breasted FrancolinPternistis rufopictus Reichenow, 1887 | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Swainson's FrancolinPternistis swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Heuglin's FrancolinPternistis icterorhynchus (Heuglin, 1863) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-necked FrancolinPternistis afer (P. L. S. Müller, 1776) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Francolinus adspersus adspersus Waterhouse, 1838 Waterhouse, 1838 | synonym |
| Pternistis ahantensis ahantensis (Waterhouse, 1838) (Waterhouse, 1838) | synonym |
| Francolinus adspersus mesicus (Clancey, 1996) (Clancey, 1996) | synonym |
| Francolinus adspersus Waterhouse, 1838 Waterhouse, 1838 | synonym |
| Pternistis adspersus adspersus (Waterhouse, 1838) (Waterhouse, 1838) | synonym |
| Pternistis adspersus mesicus Clancey, 1996 Clancey, 1996 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=553850 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4PV6F. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.