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Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Crested Francolin
Bospatrys · Dendroperdix sephaena
A small, perky game bird that often holds its tail cocked upward like a bantam chicken. It is streaked brown and white with a pale eyebrow stripe and a small raisable crest. It scurries through undergrowth in pairs or family groups, scratching for seeds and insects, and roosts in low trees, calling loudly at dawn with a chattering duet.
Log your Crested Francolin sighting — free →How to identify it
Its tail is often held cocked upward like a little chicken, with a bold white eyebrow stripe on the face.
Listen for its call
A raucous, rhythmic 'chee-chakla, chee-chakla' duet at dawn.
Where to see it in Kruger
Common in dry thornveld and thickets across the park, usually seen scuttling along roadsides early in the morning.
Did you know
Pairs sing a fast call-and-answer duet at dawn, sounding like they're cheekily arguing back and forth.
Often confused with
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