Hildebrandt's spurfowl is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. The species is named for Johann Maria Hildebrandt, who collected the first specimens in Kenya. The sexes differ markedly in their plumage and females are smaller than males.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda south through Burundi and western Tanzania, and east across Kenya to northern Mozambique and Malawi, reaching into northeastern Zambia. It favors dry to moist savanna, acacia and mixed woodland, wooded grassland, and thickets, often near watercourses or cultivation. It uses bushy slopes, scrubby valleys, and the edges of farms and villages. Dense forest is generally avoided, but it readily occupies mosaics of open woodland and secondary growth.
Altitude Range
0–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Hildebrandt's spurfowl is a ground-dwelling gamebird named after the German naturalist Johann Maria Hildebrandt, who collected the first specimens in Kenya. It is strongly sexually dimorphic, with females smaller and more cryptically marked than males. Pairs often perform loud duets at dawn, and males bear prominent leg spurs used in dominance and defense. The species frequents scrubby savannas and woodland edges, where it forages by scratching in leaf litter.
Temperament
shy and wary
Flight Pattern
explosive take-off with short rapid wingbeats followed by a glide
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups, keeping close to cover and freezing or running before flushing. Pairs maintain territories and often duet at dawn from low perches or the ground. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground, hidden under grass tussocks or shrubs, and the clutch is guarded by both adults.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, carrying duet of harsh cackles and rasping notes, often delivered at first light and late afternoon. Calls accelerate and rise slightly in pitch, with the second bird responding in close synchrony. Alarm notes are sharp clucks and grating squeals.
Plumage
Upperparts are brown to grey-brown with fine vermiculations and mottling; underparts show bold dark-and-white spotting and barring. Males are richer-toned with more contrast and often show chestnut on the underparts and flanks; females are smaller, duller, and more uniformly barred below. Tail is short; plumage overall is cryptic and suited to scrubby habitats.
Diet
Feeds on seeds, grasses, and fallen grain, supplemented by insects such as termites, beetles, and ants, as well as shoots, bulbs, and small fruits. It scratches vigorously in leaf litter and loose soil to uncover hidden food. During the wet season it takes more invertebrates, shifting toward seeds and plant matter as conditions dry.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground along woodland edges, in thorn scrub, and in weedy field margins and fallows. It also uses paths, track verges, and shrub-choked gullies, retreating quickly into dense cover when disturbed.
