Elgon francolin
Species of bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Elgon francolin (Scleroptila elgonensis) is a francolin found in moorland at altitudes above 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) from eastern Uganda (Mount Elgon) to central Kenya.[2][3][4][5][6]
| Elgon francolin | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration by Keulemans, 1893 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Scleroptila |
| Species: | S. elgonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Scleroptila elgonensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1891) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Scleroptila psilolaema elgonensis | |
It was described by Ogilvie-Grant in 1891 as Francolinus elgonensis, and some authorities still use the genus Francolinus for all members otherwise placed in Scleroptila.[2][5] It was previously considered a subspecies of the moorland francolin (S. psilolaema), which is now thought to be endemic to Ethiopia.[2] Alternatively, it was suggested as a subspecies of the Shelley's francolin (S. shelleyi elgonensis),[2] or even a hybrid between the moorland and red-winged francolins.[7] However, it was split as a distinct species by the IUCN Red List and BirdLife International in 2014, and by the International Ornithological Congress in 2022 based on a 2019 study.[8][9] The Elgon francolin resembles the moorland francolin, but the latter is duller (less rufescent) and has a black-dotted throat, and also differs in vocalizations.[2]