Swainson's Francolin
Swainson's FrancolinSwainson's FrancolinSwainson's FrancolinSwainson's Francolin

Swainson's Francolin

Pternistis swainsonii

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Etosha National Park
55 Verified records at Etosha National Park
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

Swainson's spurfowl or Swainson's francolin (Pternistis swainsonii) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae which is native to southern Africa. In the Shona language in Zimbabwe, this bird is called the chikwari or horwe and is considered a delicacy by outdoor and hunting enthusiasts. Swainson's spurfowl was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Francolin sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 55 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park

Red-billed Francolin
LC

Red-billed Francolin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pternistis adspersus

40–50% · Likely
Hartlaub's Francolin
LC

Hartlaub's Francolin

Bird

Pternistis hartlaubi

<5% · Rare
Crested Francolin
LC

Crested Francolin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ortygornis sephaena

5–10% · With luck
Common Quail
LC

Common Quail

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Coturnix coturnix

Insufficient data
Orange River Francolin
LC

Orange River Francolin

Bird

Scleroptila gutturalis

Insufficient data
Helmeted Guineafowl
LC

Helmeted Guineafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numida meleagris

50–60% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
5–10
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
5–10
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
50–60%
2 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
40–50%
3 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
30–40%
5 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
6 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
7 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
30–40%
8 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
30–40%
9 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
10 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
11 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
12 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
13 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Swainson's Francolin in Etosha National Park?

About 4% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Francolin sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 55 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Swainson's Francolin in Etosha National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Swainson's Francolin in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.

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