Pternistis swainsonii
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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.
It is found in grasslands and woodlands of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Swainson's spurfowl was described in 1836 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith and given the binomial name Perdix swainsonii. Smith noted that the spurfowl inhabited the banks of the rivers beyond Kurrichaine (Kaditshwene), the modern province of Limpopo in South Africa. The specific epithet swainsonii was chosen to honour the English naturalist William Swainson. The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. Swainson's spurfowl is treated as monotypic: the proposed subspecies lundazi is not recognised.
One syntype specimen of Perdix Swainsonii Smith (Rep.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 8 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 11 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 13 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 2 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Francolin sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 102nd most-seen of the 177 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, August and December–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Francolin in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–July and September–November, the lowest months. Those are among Pretoria's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swainson's Francolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Swainson's Francolin sightings, Pretoria ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Lusaka (Zambia, about 10%), Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%) and Johannesburg (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Swainson's Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Pretoria (28 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
