Black Francolin

Shirvan National Park

A beautiful and colorful bird species belonging to the Pheasant family of the Galliformes order of the Birds class. It is widespread in the Kur-Araz lowland and the Lankaran plain, along the Ganikh and Gabirri rivers in Azerbaijan. It is sedentary. In males, the top of the head is golden-gray, the top of the neck is chestnut. The chest and abdomen are black. The ear area is covered with white feathers. The feathers on the wings are dark brown, the shoulder feathers are gray, and the legs are yellow-reddish. The color of the female is pale. Its body length is 35-37 cm, the mass of the male is 435-607 g, and the mass of the female is 375-520 g. It is found in open semi-arid areas with blackberries, bramble bushes, or reed beds, in orchards and vineyards near settlements, and on the edges of grain fields. It lays 5-9 eggs and incubates for 20-21 days.