Pternistis nobilis
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The handsome spurfowl (Pternistis nobilis) is a species of bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is a large, up to 35 cm long, terrestrial forest bird with a dark reddish brown plumage, grey head, red bill and legs, brown iris, bare red orbital skin and rufous grey below. Both sexes are similar. The female is slightly smaller than male. The young has duller plumage.
The handsome spurfowl is distributed in mountain forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwest Uganda and borders between Burundi and Rwanda. It is a shy and elusive bird, more often heard than seen. The diet consists mainly of seeds.
The handsome spurfowl was described in 1908 by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow from a specimen collected on Mount Sabyinyo in the Virunga Mountains. Mount Sabyinyo is in Rwanda, on the border with the Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reichenow coined the binomial name Francolinus nobilis. The species is now placed in the genus Pternistis that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. The specific epithet nobilis is Latin for "noble", "famous" or "renowned". The handsome spurfowl is monotypic: no subspecies... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 3 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Handsome Francolin sighting in Nyungwe National Park on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 124th most-seen of the 252 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–July and December–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Handsome Francolin in Nyungwe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May and August–November, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Handsome Francolin sightings, Nyungwe National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Handsome Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Nyungwe National Park (91 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.
