NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Swainson's Francolin
Pternistis swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836)
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
Swainson's spurfowl or Swainson's francolin (Pternistis swainsonii) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae which is native to southern Africa. In the Shona language in Zimbabwe, this bird is called the chikwari or horwe and is considered a delicacy by outdoor and hunting enthusiasts. Swainson's spurfowl was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.
Wikipedia contributors, Swainson's spurfowl; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:45:04.864614+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pternistis swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836)
- Name authority
- (A. Smith, 1836)
- Common name
- Swainson's 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 swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836)
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 |
| Heuglin's FrancolinPternistis icterorhynchus (Heuglin, 1863) | PhasianidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-billed FrancolinPternistis adspersus (Waterhouse, 1838) | 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 |
|---|---|
| Perdix swainsonii A. Smith, 1836 A. Smith, 1836 | synonym |
| Pternistis swainsonii swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836) (A. Smith, 1836) | synonym |
| Francolinus swainsonii lundazi (C. M. N. White, 1947) (C. M. N. White, 1947) | synonym |
| Francolinus swainsonii swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836) (A. Smith, 1836) | synonym |
| Francolinus swainsonii (A. Smith, 1836) (A. Smith, 1836) | synonym |
| Pternistis swainsonii lundazi C. M. N. White, 1947 C. M. N. White, 1947 | 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=553860 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:4PV75. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.