The Orange River Francolin (Scleroptila levaillantoides) is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family found in grassland and woodland in Africa. In the taxa from the northern part of its distribution (Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya), the neck-line does not reach the eye and the belly is whitish. In the southern taxa (Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho) the neck-line reaches the eye and the belly is buff. This has led some authorities to treat them as separate species: The Archer's or Acacia Francolin (S. gutturalis with subspecies lorti) in the north, and the Orange River Francolin (S. levaillantoides with subspecies jugularis) in the south.
Famous quotes containing the words orange and/or river:
“the great orange bed where we lie
like two frozen paintings in a field of poppies.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Nature seemed to have adorned herself for our departure with a profusion of fringes and curls, mingled with the bright tints of flowers, reflected in the water. But we missed the white water-lily, which is the queen of river flowers, its reign being over for this season.... Many of this species inhabit our Concord water.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)