Grey Francolin - Behaviour and Ecology

Behaviour and Ecology

The loud calls of the birds are commonly heard early in the mornings. Pairs of birds engage in duet calls. The female call is a tee...tee...tee repeated and sometimes a kila..kila..kila and the challenge call kateela..kateela..kateela is a duet. They are usually seen in small groups.

The main breeding season is April to September and the nest is a hidden scrape on the ground. The nest may sometimes be made above ground level in a niche in a wall or rock. The clutch is six to eight eggs but larger clutches have been noted.

Food includes seeds, grains as well as insects, particularly termites and beetles (especially Tenebrionidae and Carabidae). They may occasionally take larger prey such as snakes.

They roost in groups in low thorny trees.

Several species of feather mites, helminth and blood parasites have been described from the species.