Painted Spurfowl Galloperdix lunulata Scientific name definitions

c. 27–34 cm (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 255–285 g, female 226–255 g. Male unmistakable with densely white-spotted plumage , greenish-black head, breast , scapulars, wings and tail, and chestnut patches on mantle, wing-coverts , rump and rear flanks. Female distinguished from other female Galloperdix by combination of rufous or chestnut face, yellowish-buff throat and ochraceous-brown breast. Iris brown, bill brown and legs brownish grey to dark grey (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile male duller than adult female with black-barred upperparts, blackish-spotted breast (2 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) and is more buff-freckled over rest of underparts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

E Peninsular India S of Gangetic Plain, from E Rajasthan E to West Bengal and S to S Karnataka and N Tamil Nadu. Said to occur in W Bangladesh. Old report from Nepal is erroneous.

Thorn scrub (e.g. Anogeissus, Bridelia, Acacia, Mimosa) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and bamboo jungle in dry areas, e.g. boulder-strewn hills, although also reported from areas close to water (3 Sankar, K., Mohan, D. and Pandey, S. (1993). Birds of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India. Forktail. 8: 133–141. Close ); below 1000 m (2 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Prefers drier habitats than G. spadicea (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Presumably sedentary. More reluctant to fly than G. spadicea; when alarmed dodges between pieces of cover; runs very fast, flying only when hard pressed and rarely any distance; sometimes hides in holes or rock fissures (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Hops from rock to rock on stony hillsides; if flushed, will fly downwards.

Seeds, tubers, drupes (Zizyphus, Lantana, Ficus, etc.) and berries reported; also small land molluscs and insects, especially termites. Usually observed in pairs.

Surprisingly poorly known, but gives a loud, rapidly repeated “chur, chur, chur” and a fowl-like cackling has been mentioned; also male reported to give a bubbling, half-scolding, clucking note when flushed (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Nesting Jan–Jun, mainly Feb to early May; also in other months at some localities, e.g. Aug on Deccan Plateau (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Mating system unknown. Nest a scrape, lined with leaves and grass, under a rock or a root, or on dry bamboo leaves within a clump. Usually 3–4 pale buff (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) eggs (sometimes five); incubation apparently by female alone, but both parents tend young; downy chicks are pale chestnut-rufous above with darker broad central line, earth brown and chestnut below.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Mace Lande: safe. Considered safe because of extensive distribution, and because inhabits secondary vegetation in some areas. Occurs in several protected areas (e.g. Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Amaravathy, Sariska Tiger Reserve and Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, and Satpura National Park, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh) (4 Ranjitsinh, M.K. (1999). The Painted Spurfowl Galloperdix lunulata Valenciennes in Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96: 314. Close , 5 Jayapal, R., Q. Qureshi, and R. Chellam (2005). Some significant records of birds from the central Indian highlands of Madhya Pradesh. Indian Birds 1(5):98–102. Close ), but clearly does not rely on these for survival. No further information available.