Gray Francolin

SCI Name:  Francolinus pondicerianus
Protonym:  Tetrao pondicerianus Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.760
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Phasianidae / Francolinus
Taxonomy Code:  gryfra
Type Locality:  Pondicherry, India.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

FRANCOLINUS
(Phasianidae; Ϯ Black Francolin F. francolinus) Specific name Tetrao Francolinus Linnaeus, 1766 (see francolinus); "Cuviers System.   ...   Colin, Coturnix, Perdix, Francolinus, Attagen, Lagopus" (Oken 1817); "FRANCOLINUS.  FRANCOLIN.   Generic Character.  Beak strong, middle sized, convex above, and incurved towards the tip.  Nostrils basal, lateral, half closed by a naked arched membrane.  Orbits warty. Tail elongated, consisting of twelve feathers.  Feet four-toed, naked; the tarsi of the male with two spurs or only one.  Wings short.  ...  THE Francolins are distinguished from the Partridges by the beak being longer and stronger: the tail is also longer: in the first division of the genus the tarsi of the males are armed with a single strong spur, and in the second with two, except in the last three species, which possess one spur and a hard callous tubercle, and have the throat and orbits naked. In the manners of the birds comprised in this genus there is a great dissimilarity to those of the following [Perdix]; these residing in damp places and perching upon trees, whereas the latter always rest upon the ground.   ...  LONG-BEAKED FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus longirostris.)  ...  COMMON FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus vulgaris.)  ...  PONDICHERRY FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Pondicerianus.)  ...  THORACIC FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus thoracicus.)  ...  AFRICAN FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Africanus.)  ...  PEARLED FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus perlatus.)  ...  NOISY FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus clamata.)  ...  BROWN AFRICAN FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus spadiceus.)  ...  SENEGAL FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Senegalensis.)  ...  CEYLON FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Ceylonensis.)  ...  CAPE FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Capensis.)  ...  RED-NECKED FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus rubricollis.)  ...  CRANCH'S FRANCOLIN. (Francolinus Cranchii.)" (Stephens 1819): based on "Francolinus" of Brisson 1760, "Francolin" of various authors, and Tetrao Francolinus Linnaeus, 1766; "Francolinus Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool., 11, pt. 2, 1819, p. 316. Type, by tautonymy, Francolinus vulgaris Stephens = Tetrao francolinus Linné." (Peters, 1934, II, p. 68).
Var. Francolenus.
Synon. Attagen, Limnocolinus, Mustoxydes, Ortygornis.

francolinus
French name Francolin for a francolin < Italian Francolino little hen; “They are by the Italians called Francolini as it were Franci, that is, Free Fowl, because the common people are forbidden to take them, and Princes grant them freedom of living” (Ray 1678); ex “Francolin” of Gessner 1555, Olina 1622, de Tournefort 1717, and Edwards 1758, “Tetrao orientalis” of Hasselqvist 1757, and “Lagopus Francolinus” of Brisson 1760 (Francolinus).

pondiceriana / pondicerianus / pondicherri
Pondichéry or Pondicherry, French India (= Puduchcheri, Tamil Nadu).
● ex “Bec-ouvert de Pondichéry” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 932, “Bec-ouvert” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Pondicherry Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Anastomus oscitans).
● ex “Perdrix du Pondichéry” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Pondicherry Partridge” of Latham 1783 (Francolinus).
● ex “Perruche de Pondichéry” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 517, “Perruche à moustaches” of de Buffon 1765-1781, and “Mustachoe Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Psittacula alexandri).
● ex “Gobe-mouche de Pondichéry” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Coromandel Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Tephrodornis).

SUBSPECIES

Gray Francolin (mecranensis)
SCI Name: Francolinus pondicerianus mecranensis
mecranensis
Mekran or Makran, the coastal strip of Baluchistan, Iran/Pakistan.

Gray Francolin (interpositus)
SCI Name: Francolinus pondicerianus interpositus
interposita / interpositus
L. interpositus  interposed, introduced  < interponere  to interpose.
● "Similar to O. japonicus japonicus, but differs in having the wing and bill longer and stouter, and the coloration rather darker. It also differs from O. japonicus elegans in having the upper parts paler and less rufous in tone, and in having the wing and culmen perceptibly shorter" (Kuroda 1923) (subsp. Otus elegans).

Gray Francolin (pondicerianus)
SCI Name: Francolinus pondicerianus pondicerianus
pondiceriana / pondicerianus / pondicherri
Pondichéry or Pondicherry, French India (= Puduchcheri, Tamil Nadu).
● ex “Bec-ouvert de Pondichéry” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 932, “Bec-ouvert” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Pondicherry Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Anastomus oscitans).
● ex “Perdrix du Pondichéry” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Pondicherry Partridge” of Latham 1783 (Francolinus).
● ex “Perruche de Pondichéry” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 517, “Perruche à moustaches” of de Buffon 1765-1781, and “Mustachoe Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Psittacula alexandri).
● ex “Gobe-mouche de Pondichéry” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Coromandel Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Tephrodornis).