---
title: "Red-billed Spurfowl"
description: "Pternistis adspersus — Birds. The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/red-billed-spurfowl
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Red-billed Spurfowl

> Pternistis adspersus — Birds. The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae.

- Scientific name: *Pternistis adspersus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `savanna` (Savanna)
- iNaturalist observations: 1397
- Wikidata: [Q1093526](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1093526)
- iNaturalist taxon: [495974](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/495974)

## Names

- en: Red-billed Spurfowl
- de: Rotschnabelfrankolin
- es: Francolín Piquirrojo
- fr: Francolin à bec rouge
- nl: Roodsnavelfrankolijn
- pt: Francolim-de-bico-vermelho
- pl: Szponiastonóg krasnodzioby

## Countries with the most observations

NA (718), BW (558), ZW (55), ZA (22), AO (3)

## Summary

The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae.  It is found in Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Males are larger, measuring 38 cm (15 in) in length and weighing 340–635 g (12.0–22.4 oz), whereas females measure 33 cm (13 in) in length and weigh 340–549 g (12.0–19.4 oz). The species has barred underparts (in contrast to the related Natal spurfowl) and a conspicuous yellow eye-ring.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-billed_spurfowl

## Photo

![Red-billed Spurfowl](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/red-billed-spurfowl/medium.jpg)

Photo: n_armstrong · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137721430

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/red-billed-spurfowl?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).