Swainson's spurfowl
Swainson's spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii), also called Swainson's francolin, is a bird in the pheasant family native to southern Africa. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Where it lives: grasslands and woodlands across Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland), Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Local name: in Zimbabwe’s Shona language it is called chikwari or horwe, and some outdoor and hunting enthusiasts consider it a delicacy.
Naming: the species was named to honor English naturalist William Swainson. It was first described in 1836 by Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith as Perdix swainsonii and is now placed in the genus Pternistis, introduced by German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.
Subspecies: Swainson's spurfowl is treated as monotypic, with no recognized subspecies.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:00 (CET).