This post does not follow my usual format. I have written this post to share some fascinating insights into Spurfowl, particularly Swainson’s, which I gained from the last few trips with long standing friend, Nic Dinham. Two weekends ago we went down to an eco-farm in the Free State in South Africa called “Wag n’ Bietjie” run by Andre and Ardri Hoffman. The reason for the trip was to count gamebirds ahead of the hunting season to assess viability. While I am not a fan of hunting,  I realise the need to understand the dynamics and context of this activity before making any judgement. Apart from anything else, I have good friends who hunt (some are Falconers and some are Wingshooters). They love the bush and have a great knowledge and appreciation for wildlife, and follow recognised ethical rules related to their sport to ensure its sustainability. Like photography, a crucial component of hunting whether with a sparrowhawk, a gun or a camera is that you have to understand the behaviour of your subject to be able to get into the right position to get the best “shot”!!!!!

“Curing environmental ills requires not a stance outside nature, but a stance within nature, a role not as onlooker without, but as an actor within.”   – Valerius Geist

Andre is  a very knowledgeable man, born and bred in the area and has a detailed knowledge of insects, birds, game and fishing. The eco-farm is bordered on its north side by the Vaal river. The information I am sharing is ancedotal. I have not done any field studies on the Swainson’s Spurfowl. Whilst not technically rigorous, I thought birders might find some of the information interesting, or thought provoking at least.

Swainson’s Spurfowl was named after English ornithologist and artist William John Swainson. Swainson became the first illustrator and naturalist to use lithography.

Taxonomy

Taxonomy involves the description, naming and classifying of species and higher taxa (genera, families, orders, etc.). The Swainson’s Spurfowl is classified in the genus Pternistis within the family phasianidae ( pheasants and partridges, Junglefowl chickens, quail and peafowl). The clade Phasianidae is the largest of the branch Galliformes ( terrestrial gamebirds), comprising more than 150 species. Modern taxonomies of francolins recognise 41 congeneric species, forming the largest genus of terrestrial gamebirds.

Galliformes are heavy-bodied ground-feeding game birds. Most are plump-bodied with thick necks and moderately long legs, and have rounded and rather short wings. They do not fly long distances and prefer to walk or run. Many adult males have one to several sharp horny spurs on the back of each leg, which they use for fighting.

Of the approximately 40 extant species in the genus Francolinus, all but five are endemic to Africa.  Twelve of the species which occur in Africa are found in the subcontinental region of southern Africa. Of the African species, seven occur in  Namibia. Six southern African Francolins are considered endemic to the subcontinent, of which three are found in Namibia (Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Red-billed Spurfowl, and Orange River Francolin). The Cape Spurfowl is endemic to the Cape Province of South Africa and occurs marginally in southern Namibia. Greywing Spurfowl inhabit the more mountains and alpine terrain in South Africa and are found at elevations of between 1850 and 2700 metres above seas level.

Francolins and Spurfowls were traditionally placed in one of the largest genera of birds. Research conducted and published by the Percy FitzPatrick Institute has confirmed that based on their anatomy, behaviour and molecular biology that Francolins and Spurfowl form at least two evolutionarily distinct groups, the ‘true’ Francolins (Francolinus sensu stricto, Dendroperdix, Peliperdix and Scleroptila spp.) and Spurfowls (Pternistis spp.). Molecular research has shown  distinct differences between Francolins and Spurfowls in the calls and anatomy of their syrinxes (avian voice-boxes). Recent ecological and behavioural studies show that Francolins are relatively small, ground-roosting birds, and Spurfowls (Pternistis spp.) are larger birds which roost in trees.

Identification

The Swainson’s Spurfowl colouration is cryptic as would be expected of terrestrial birds. Its plumage is brown overall, with black streaks. Its face around the eyes down to the beak and throat are bare and the skin is red in colour. It legs are black, whereas the Red-necked Spurfowl has red legs and the upper and lower bill of its beak are both red. There is minimal sexual dimorphism either in or outside the breeding season. The only outward difference is that the males are bigger than the females and have large spurs on their tarsi ( just above their ankles).

The bill is short and strong which is needed to dig to obtain food. The upper bill is black and lower bill is red.

Spurfowl are classified as Passerines because of the arrangement of their toes (three pointing forward and one back) which enables them to perch on branches.

Spurfowls, as their name suggests, have spurs on their tarsi. They can have two spurs on each leg. The male’s spurs are usually well-developed. You can tell the age of a male by the condition and degree to which his spurs have been worn down through fighting over territory. In the next image the spurs on this male Swainson’s Spurfowl have been worn down suggesting he is an older, battle worn male.

Habitat

Swainson’s seem to prefer disturbed areas such as you would find in farming area. The Bothaville maize farming region is a perfect area to find them Swainson’s Spurfowl can be found in the inland areas of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Scent

Until I saw English and German Short-haired Pointers (GSPs) working the fields, I never realised that Spurfowl and Francolin had scent.  There is no doubt that these birds leave a scent trail through the grass and under small bushes which these dogs can pick up. Presumably, Jackal,  Caracal , Mongooses, Leopards and Serval also use scent to locate these game birds. What I find even more fascinating is that these birds lose their scent during breeding season. Presumably, this is an adaptation because they nest on the ground.

“Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say, you cannot love game and hate predators… The land is one organism.”
― Aldo Leopold

I have never seen a Swainson’s Spurfowl nest, but according to “Roberts Nest and Eggs of Southern Africa” by Warwick Tarboton, the nest is usually built in a shallow scrape in the ground lined roughly with grass and sometimes feathers.  The eggs are most often  laid in the months, December to  April, which is why the hunting season does not  open before May each year.

Food

The Swainson’s Spurfowl is omnivorous meaning that its feeds on seeds, insects but the food mix is seasonal. The population of gamebirds can vary significantly according to the season where in winter with less food around the population can drop as much as 30% in a season, according to gamebird counters.

Flight

The shape of the wing is an important factor in determining the types of flight of which the bird is capable. Different shapes correspond to different trade-offs between characteristics, such as speed, low energy use, and maneuverability. Spurfowl, like most of the non-migratory passerines have elliptical wings which are short and rounded. As such they have a low aspect ratio, allowing for tight maneuvering in confined spaces such as might be found in dense vegetation. This elliptical shape wing gives the Spurfowl rapid take-off capability which is needed to evade both terrestrial and aerial predators.  Swainson’s Spurfowl would prefer to sneek away from you through the grass than fly. When flushed, they jump up and flap rapidly to accelerate and quickly reach  glide height. From there they glide into their landing point which is not usually more than 100 metres away.

Socialisation

The species are monogamous. These Spurfowl tend to be found in pairs when breeding but outside that period can be found in coveys of up to eight birds. They seem to come out into the open, along the farm roads and open verges alongside the maize fields at first light to socialise and presumably re-establish  and maintain their coveys, in much the same way Zebra harems re-assemble after a night where family members have been scattered by Lions or Hyaenas.

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
― Aldo Leopold

Early in the morning you can often see a male Swainson’s Spurfowl on an anthill or low bush declaring to all who can hear that this is his territory. Once it starts to warm up, the Spurfowl move onto the lands to feed on anything from old maize seeds, to black-Jack seeds and insects.

By midday when it is hottest, the Spurfowl seek shade in among trees and bushes.

Later in the afternoon when it starts to cool down the Spurfowl can be seen moving back onto the lands to feed again. This is often a time of vocalisation, just to remind the neighbours that it is still their territory.

Most Spurfowl, such as Swainsons’, roost at night in either trees or bushes, which ever are available, to minimise predation. When roosting in trees, Spurfowl tend to occupy the lower branches. Guineafowl also roost in trees but they can usually be found at the top of the trees. I am not sure why each has a different roosting level, but it could be just the greater numbers of Guineafowl.

The female Spurfowl can lay between three and 12 eggs in a clutch, which she will incubate for around 21 to 24 days. The chicks are precocial, meaning they can fend for themselves from hatching. Precocial birds are born with their eyes open and have downy feathers which soon grow to adult feathers after hatching. These chicks are able to leave their nest within 24 hours of hatching to find their own food. Many precocial chicks cannot thermo-regulate (regulate their own body temperatures), and depend on their parent to brood them with body heat for a short period of time. Impressively, they are also able to fly short distances after about two weeks and are  fully grown, size wise, after around three months.

Like Guineafowl, Sandgrouse, and Bee-eaters, Swainson’s Spurfowl can be seen dust bathing to rid themselves of parasites.

Coveys

Swainson’s Spurfowl live in coveys of seven to nine birds and are usually family groups. They are territorial. Generally, the younger birds tend to fly first when flushed from their hiding place and are often the first ones taken by predators.  These Spurfowl, typical of terrestrial gamebirds, would rather run than fly but if they cannot runaway they will fly.

Gamebirds need three elements – food. cover and water – so when looking for Swainson’s Spurfowl establish the close proximity of these three elements and there is a good chance of finding them.

 

This post was aimed at giving a popular science angle for interest rather than scientific treatise. The idea was to share information rather than be definitive. Again when delving deeper into a species, an overwhelming factor is that these Spurfowl are perfectly adapted to their environment and each aspect of the bird serves a necessary function.

It is crucial we understand the dynamics of these Spurfowl populations in order to ensure the farming and gamebird hunting communities participate constructively in these areas and do not decimate the gamebird populations. Inevitably, as human activity encroaches more and more on natural wildlife habitats, their wildlife and gamebird carrying capacity is negatively impacted. We do not want to exacerbate the situation. 

The more we get to understand the finer details about these gamebirds (and our natural world), the more fascinating they become and more we respect their incredible adaptation to the rigours of their environment. We are only scratching at the surface of these libraries of wildlife knowledge and information. The more we know, the better we understand, the more we respect those creatures around us and more we realise we are part of the whole, an intricate interconnected web of life.

“Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher ‘standard of living’ is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television.”
― Aldo Leopold

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

This is a postscript from our weekend in Mashatu in mid-April. You might remember that it was very wet and overcast but we had two bright spots on the Sunday and Monday morning. Many of the animal and bird images I have included show off the garden of flowers which bloomed after the rain.

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!”

Dawn with the sun rising behind a low hill.

Early on the Sunday morning just as the sun was starting to illuminate the mist down on the northern side of the Majale river.

This sleepy Black-backed Jackal was warming up lying in among the flowers early on the Sunday morning. His coat was luxuriant which I take to be  a sign of excellent health and good feeding conditions.

This White-backed Vulture was one of a group of five which were also warming themselves in the early morning sun while waiting for the Lioness to leave the kill scene.

It was unusual to see two Kori Bustards so close together, so I presumed that the one on the left was a juvenile and the female was on the right. The males are not monogamous and leave the female with the task of raising the young.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

Here is one more image of the Martial Eagle which had caught a Guineafowl and was busy killing it at the top of the tree. The Martial’s wings were open to balance itself as the Guineafowl was still wriggling around. That savage look implied that we should not be there – go!!

 

On the Monday morning, the last game drive of our weekend, we saw this herd of Elephants making its way down to the river. It was an spectacular sighting of a breeding herd of Elephant walking through the trees towards us in park like conditions with yellow flowers everywhere.

“There are many paths through the Ring of Life. They are a constant movement toward self-fulfillment through growth of your mind, expansion of your experiences, widening of your senses and growing your spirit. It’s ceaseless and constant throughout one’s life.”

Along the Majale river we found a flock of about 30 White-fronted Bee-eaters busy digging their nesting holes in the river bank.

“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.”
― Kahlil Gibran

There was a distinct pairing and each member of a pair would take a turn to dig.

I always thought they used old holes in the river bank but this group were digging new holes. They use their beak in a similar way to a Woodpecker.

It was early on the Sunday morning and the sun was out for a while. The soft early morning light really contrasted their stunning colouring against the river bank.

We can only marvel at the colours which nature displays.

On our travels around the park we came across two pairs of Southern Ground Hornbills. This pair was close to the game lodge on a stoney ridge above the Majale river. The male Southern Ground Hornbill has a bulbous red wattle (throat pouch). When calling, this wattle inflates helping to generate a “lion-like” sound which carries quite a distance and can sometimes heard as a duet in the early morning.

These Ground Hornbills are very wary and will not let you get close. They were patrolling the stoney ridge and, being omnivorous, eat any reptiles, frogs, birds, snakes and large insects they can find, using their sharp bills to stab their quarry.

The female ground Hornbill is slightly smaller, and her throat sac under her beak is a bluey-purple and she has a number of white primary wing feathers.

These Hornbills have one of the slowest reproductive rates in the bird kingdom, producing only one chick approximately every nine years. They are co-operative breeders, with just one dominant breeding pair in a social group, and the rest of the group being helpers. Ground Hornbills are the only birds in the Hornbill family which do not seal the entrances of their nests when eggs are laid.

It is impossible not to photograph a Lilac-breasted Roller, this beautiful, emblazened, resting acrobat.

An Impala ram eating the Yellow Devil thorn flowers.

A lone Eland bull browsing on Mopani leaves. This was a middle aged male as his dewlap was not yet fully developed and his hide was still a relatively light colour. I did not hear the tenon clicking, so typical of large heavy males.

Eland are wary of the game vehicles and usually do not let you get close. This character was relaxed and did not run away from us. Eland males can grow to a shoulder height of 1.7 metres and weight 900 kilograms, so they are huge. Surprisingly, they are also excellent high jumpers. I have seen a large Eland jump over a two metre high Mopani bush, with ease, which was in its flight path.

A large mature male Warthog grazing on the lush wet grass. This large male had huge tusks and large facial warts. These “warts” give Warthogs their name but are actually protective bumps. They store fat and help protect Warthogs during fights. Sometimes, males will fight for mates, and the protective “warts” help to cushion blows during these battles.

Warthogs have the peculiar habit of kneeling on the front knees while feeding and foraging in a localised area. They shelter in burrows at night, which they enter tail first. Boars play no part in rearing piglets and seldom associate with sows outside the mating process.

Warthogs can frequently be found at waterholes where they dig in the marsh and wallow in the mud with obvious enthusiasm.

Close up of a Zebra stallion.

This stallion stayed behind allowing his harem to move away.

A spotted Hyaena walking through the yellow flower garden probably returning to her den after a night’s hunting.

 A Little Banded Mongoose standing as sentry outside the anthill which the Mongoose family had taken over. The rest of the family were down inside the old ant nest.

The next image was taken on our way out of the park. This was the stoney ridge where we saw the Ground Hornbills and we were looking south down onto the Majale river. Of course, there was beautiful sunshine on our last morning!!!

It was amazing to see how quickly the Limpopo river had subsided. At lunchtime on the Saturday, the river was deep and flowing strongly.

By the following Monday midday, the river had drained to the point where we could easily cross by vehicle. You can see how much water had drained because the water level was around five metres below the wire catenary on Saturday and way below on Monday.

“Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.”

A big thank you to Peter Bale and his team at Mashatu main camp for the wonderful luxury in the bush and great hospitality. Also to Eric Maripane, our guide for the weekend together with tracker Albert, you guys are very knowledgeable, have unbelievable eyesight and were great company – thank you so much.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike