Description
This species is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. It is distributed patchily from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh south into peninsular India (but not along the Malabar coast and rare south of Coimbatore) and in Sri Lanka. The species interbreeds with the Black Francolin along its northern and appears similar to the female of that species but has no rufous hindcollar, instead having a bright rufous face and throat. The underside has white spots while the legs are orange-yellow to red. It is more arboreal in its habits than the Black Francolin. The legs of both sexes have no spurs.
The species was described by P. J. Selby based on a specimen obtained by his nephew John Atherton of Bangalore (commemorated in Nyctyornis athertoni). The type locality has been designated as Bangalore although the specimen likely came from further north.
Three subspecies have been named. The nominate population are from Central and South India south of 20°N while to the north is the form pallidus (type locality Udaipur). This form is paler on the upperparts. The Sri Lankan race is watsoni. In Sri Lanka it has a restricted distribution and is found from the Uvala patanas east to the low-country of Nilgala and Bibile.
Populations change during and after the monsoons, and hunters have been known to capture large numbers of nearly 300 from some areas.
Read more about this topic: Painted Francolin
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