Sri Lanka Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata Scientific name definitions

30–35·5 cm (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 312–368 g, female 200–312 g. Male unmistakable, with chestnut rear body and wings, black-and-white streaks on mantle, scapulars and wing-coverts, and boldly white-spotted black foreparts . Female differs from other Galloperdix (all of which are wholly allopatric) by combination of rich chestnut ground colour, grey-brown head (darkest on crown) and white throat. Only possible confusion is with female Gallus lafayettii, but latter species is dumpier than spurfowl, with barred wings and streaked body plumage (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Bare parts: bill red (paler in female), irides yellow-brown to red-brown, bare skin around eye red (paler in female) and legs red (again paler in female); male has 2–3 obvious spurs, female one, occasionally two (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile similar to adults, but darker with some rufous spots above, and young male has fewer, larger white markings than adult.

Sri Lanka, principally in S (N to environs of Trincomalee on E coast).

Undisturbed tall-forest areas in moist situations up to 2100 m (2 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ); only occasionally found in drier areas of E & S Sri Lanka (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Sedentary. When alarmed, dodges between pieces of cover; runs very fast, flying only when hard pressed and rarely any distance. Normally walks with high-stepping strut (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Seeds and berries, termites and other insects; particularly favours Strobilanthes seeds during flowering years. Scratches in leaf litter for food (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Typically observed in pairs or small family parties (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Male territorial call , given periodically throughout the morning, is a very gradually rising, ringing series of three notes at rate of 4–5 notes/second, each of them trisyllabic “yuhuhu, yuhuhu, yuhuhu, yuhuhu, yuhuhu, yuhuheeyu”, with the final note uttered on the same pitch as the first; neighbouring males frequently answer (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), and female joins in with short rising series of nervous couplets or triplets that then drop down again to starting pitch, before rising again, at rate of c. 5 notes/second, e.g. “tu’tu’tu, tu’tu ... CHINK-CHINK-CHINK-CHINK ... tu’tu’tu...” (2 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

Season during NE monsoon in Nov–Mar, but breeding also reported in Jul–Sept. Monogamous. Nest a scrape lined with leaves and grass, under rock or bush. Usually two cream or warm buff eggs (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but up to five; chicks have dark brown down. No further information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Mace Lande: vulnerable. No recent detailed information on status, but must be declining because forests are disappearing. Difficult to observe; recently found in reasonable numbers in remnant forest near Kudawa in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, and also reasonably frequent in Horton Plains, Uda Walawe and Wasgomuwa National Parks (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Restricted range; occurs in Sri Lanka Endemic Bird Area. Further survey work required.