Pternistis adspersus
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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.
The red-billed spurfowl was described in 1838 by the English naturalist George Robert Waterhouse from specimens collected by James Edward Alexander on his expedition to Namaqualand and Damaraland. Waterhouse coined the binomial name Francolinus adspersus and noted that the specimens had come near the Fish River in what is now Namibia. The specific epithet adspersus is Latin for "sprinkling". The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. The red-billed spurfowl is considered as monotypic: the proposed subspecies mesicus is not... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 3 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 4 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red-billed Francolin sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 830 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 260 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and November
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Red-billed Francolin in Etosha National Park on a given day, against about 30% in January, March and June, the lowest months. Those are among Etosha National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 75 mm in January.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-billed Francolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Red-billed Francolin sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 4th at about 50%. The best odds are in Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, over 90%), Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana, about 70%) and Chobe National Park (Botswana, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-billed Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Etosha National Park (830 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
