Yellow-necked Spurfowl

  • SCIENTIFIC NAME: Francolinus leucoscepus

  • SWAHILI NAME: Kereng’ende shingonjano

Yellow-necked spurfowl, in pairs or in related groups, can be seen strolling along dirt roads, raising dust as they scratch for food. A male will fly to the top of a termite mound and proclaim himself with loud calls.

Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Type

Bird

Daily Rhythm

Crepuscular

Diet

Carnivorous

Conservation Status

Lower risk

Size

Male: 16 in (40 cm) long
Female: Usually smaller

Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Trivia Question

What do yellow-necked spurfowl eat?

Correct!

Yellow-necked spurfowl eat insects they find in dirt, fields, roads, or elephant dung.

Communication

The yellow-necked spurfowl’s call is in descending parts, starting with k-wirrk…k-wirrrrrk and ending as many as six parts later.

Behavior

Yellow-necked spurfowls begin hunting for food at dawn; they are also active at dusk.

Conservation

The yellow-necked spurfowl is a game bird. Hunting of it is regulated, however, it is also a target of poachers.

Diet

Yellow-necked spurfowls forage for insects in dirt or in elephant dung. Insects found along roads or on cultivated land are their preferred meal.

Breeding

Little is known about the breeding habits of yellow-necked spurfowls, other than that their breeding seasons vary widely depending on geographic area.

Population in Kenya

In Kenya, the yellow-necked spurfowl prefers bushed grasslands and scrublands near water and cultivated land. Their range in Kenya overlaps with that of the red-necked spurfowl.

Range & Habitat

Yellow-necked spurfowls are found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Did you know?

Male yellow-necked spurfowls have one or more sharp spurs on the backs of their legs that they use for fighting.