Phasianidae

Phasianidae Temporal range: Oligocene-recent, 30–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Diversity of Phasianidae. 1st row (Rollulinae): crested partridge, red-billed partridge, ferruginous partridge; 2nd row (Pavoninae): Sri Lankan junglefowl, Indian peafowl, harlequin quail; 3rd row (Phasianinae): common pheasant, wild turkey, western capercaillie.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Superfamily:	Phasianoidea
Family:	Phasianidae Horsfield, 1821
Type species
Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
Rollulinae Phasianinae Pavoninae

The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds.^[1] The family is a large one, and was formerly broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae and the Perdicinae. However, this treatment is now known to be paraphyletic, and more recent evidence supports breaking it up into three subfamilies: Rollulinae, Phasianinae, and Pavoninae. Sometimes, additional families and birds are treated as part of this family. For example, the American Ornithologists' Union includes the Tetraonidae (grouse), Numididae (guineafowl), and Meleagrididae (turkeys) as subfamilies in Phasianidae.

Description[]

Phasianids are terrestrial. They range in weight from 43 g (1.5 oz) in the case of the king quail to 6 kg (13 lb) in the case of the Indian peafowl. If turkeys are included, rather than classified as a separate family, then the considerably heavier wild turkey capably reaches a maximum weight of more than 17 kg (37 lb). Length in this taxonomic family can vary from 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in the king quail up to 300 cm (120 in) (including the elongated train) in green peafowl, thus they beat even the true parrots in length diversity within a family of birds.^[1][2] Generally, sexual dimorphism is greater in larger-sized birds, with males tending to be larger than females. They are generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings and powerful legs. Many have a spur on each leg, most prominently with junglefowl (including chickens), pheasants, turkeys, and peafowl. Some, like quails, partridges, and grouse, have reduced spurs to none at all. A few have two spurs on each of their legs instead of one, including peacock-pheasants and spurfowl. The bill is short and compact, particularly in species that dig deep in the earth for food such as the Mearns quail. Males of the bigger galliform species often boast brightly-coloured plumage, as well as facial ornaments such as combs, wattles, and/or crests.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution and habitat[]

The Phasianidae are mostly an Old World family, with a distribution that includes most of Europe and Asia (except the far north), all of Africa except the driest deserts, and south into much of eastern Australia and (formerly) New Zealand. The Meleagridini (turkeys) are native to the New World, while the Tetraonini (grouse) are circumpolar; both of these are members of Phasianinae. The greatest diversity of species is in Southeast Asia and Africa. The Congo peacock is specific to the African Congo.

Overall, Rollulinae is restricted to the tropics of East & Southeast Asia and the mountains of Tanzania, Phasianinae have a circumpolar range in the temperate zones of both Eurasia and North America (but also range into the tropics of east and southeast Asia), and Pavoninae have a wide range across Africa, Eurasia, and Australasia in both temperate and tropical zones.

The family is generally sedentary and resident, although some members of the group undertake long migrations, like ptarmigans and Old World quail. Several species in the family have been widely introduced around the world, particularly pheasants, which have been introduced to Europe, Australia, and the Americas, specifically for hunting purposes. Captive populations of peafowl and domestic chickens have also escaped or been released and became feral.

Behaviour and ecology[]

The phasianids have a varied diet, with foods taken ranging from purely vegetarian diets of seeds, leaves, fruits, tubers, and roots, to small animals including insects, insect grubs, and even small reptiles. Most species either specialise in feeding on plant matter or are predatory, although the chicks of most species are insectivorous.

In addition to the variation in diet, a considerable amount of variation exists in breeding strategies among the Phasianidae. Compared to birds in general, a large number of species do not engage in monogamy (the typical breeding system of most birds). The francolins of Africa and some partridges are reportedly monogamous, but polygamy has been reported in the pheasants and junglefowl, some quail, and the breeding displays of peacocks have been compared to those of a lek. Nesting usually occurs on the ground; only the tragopans nest higher up in trees or stumps of bushes. Nests can vary from mounds of vegetation to slight scrapes in the ground. As many as 20 eggs can be laid in the nest, although 7-12 are the more usual numbers, with smaller numbers in tropical species. Incubation times can range from 14–30 days depending on the species, and is almost always done solely by the hen, although a few involve the male partaking in caring for the eggs and chicks, like the willow ptarmigan and bobwhite quail.

Relationship with humans[]

Several species of pheasants and partridges are extremely important to humans. The red junglefowl of Southeast Asia is the undomestic ancestor of the domesticated chicken, the most important bird in agriculture. Ring-necked pheasants, several partridge and quail species, and some francolins have been widely introduced and managed as game birds for hunting. Several species are threatened by human activities.

Systematics and evolution[]

The clade Phasianidae is the largest of the branch Galliformes, comprising more than 150 species. This group includes the pheasants and partridges, junglefowl chickens, quail, and peafowl. Turkeys and grouse have also been recognized as having their origins in the pheasant- and partridge-like birds.

Until the early 1990s, this family was broken up into two subfamilies: the Phasianinae, including pheasants, tragopans, junglefowls, and peafowls;^[3] and the Perdicinae, including partridges, Old World quails, and francolins.^[4] Molecular phylogenies have shown that these two subfamilies are not each monophyletic, but actually constitute only one lineage with one common ancestor.^[5][6] For example, some partridges (genus Perdix) are more closely affiliated to pheasants, whereas Old World quails and partridges from the genus Alectoris are closer to junglefowls.^[5][6]

The earliest fossil records of phasianids date to the late Oligocene epoch, about 30 million years ago.^[7]

Recent genera[]

Taxonomy and ordering is based on Kimball et al., 2021, which was accepted by the International Ornithological Congress.^{[5][8][9][10]}

• Subfamily Rollulinae
  • Xenoperdix Dinesen et al. 1994 (forest partridges)
  • Caloperdix Blyth 1861 (ferruginous partridge)
  • Rollulus Bonnaterre 1791 (crested partridges)
  • Melanoperdix Jerdon 1864 (black partridge)
  • Arborophila Hodgson 1837 (hill partridges)
• Subfamily Phasianinae
  • Tribe Lerwini
    • Lerwa Hodgson 1837 (snow partridge)
  • Tribe Ithaginini
    • Ithaginis Wagler 1832 (blood pheasant)
  • Tribe Lophophorini
    • Tragopan Cuvier 1829 non Gray 1841 (tragopans)
    • Tetraophasis Elliot 1871 (monal-partridges)
    • Lophophorus Temminck 1813 non Agassiz 1846 (monals)
  • Tribe Pucrasiini
    • Pucrasia Gray 1841 (koklass pheasant)
  • Tribe Meleagridini
    • Meleagris Linnaeus 1758 (turkeys)
  • Tribe Tetraonini
    • Bonasa Stephens 1819 (ruffed grouse)
    • Tetrastes Keyserling & Blasius 1840 (hazel grouse)
    • Centrocercus Swainson 1832 (sage-grouse)
    • Dendragapus Elliot 1864 (blue grouse)
    • Tympanuchus Gloger 1841 (prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse)
    • Lagopus Brisson 1760 (ptarmigans)
    • Falcipennis Elliot 1864 (Siberian grouse)
    • Canachites Stejneger, 1885 (spruce grouse)
    • Tetrao Linnaeus 1758 (capercaillies)
    • Lyrurus Swainson 1832 (black grouse)
  • Tribe Rhizotherini
    • Rhizothera Gray 1841
  • Tribe Phasianini
    • Perdix Brisson 1760 (true partridges)
    • Syrmaticus Wagler 1832 (long-tailed pheasants)
    • Chrysolophus Gray 1834 (ruffed pheasants)
    • Phasianus Linnaeus 1758 (true pheasants)
    • Catreus Cabanis 1851 (cheer pheasant)
    • Crossoptilon Hodgson 1838 (eared pheasants)
    • Lophura Fleming 1822 non Gray 1827 non Walker 1856 (gallopheasants)
• Subfamily Pavoninae
  • Tribe Pavonini
    • Rheinardia Maingonnat 1882 (crested arguses)
    • Argusianus Rafinesque 1815 (great argus)
    • Afropavo Chapin 1936 (African peafowl)
    • Pavo Linnaeus 1758 (Asiatic peafowl)
    • Tropicoperdix Blyth 1859
  • Tribe Polyplectronini
    • Haematortyx Sharpe 1879 (crimson-headed partridge)
    • Galloperdix Blyth 1845 (Indian spurfowls)
    • Polyplectron Temminck 1807 (peacock-pheasants)
  • Tribe Gallini
    • Bambusicola Gould 1863 (bamboo partridges)
    • Gallus Brisson 1760 (junglefowl, including the domestic chicken)
    • Peliperdix Bonaparte 1856 (Latham's francolin)
    • Ortygornis Reichenbach, 1852
    • Francolinus Stephens 1819
    • Campocolinus Crowe et al 2020
    • Scleroptila Blyth 1852
  • Tribe Coturnicini
    • Tetraogallus Gray 1832 (snowcocks)
    • Ammoperdix Gould 1851 (see-see and sand partridges)
    • Synoicus Bosc 1792
    • Margaroperdix Reichenbach 1853
    • Coturnix Garsault 1764 (typical Old World quails)
    • Alectoris Kaup 1829 (rock partridges)
    • Perdicula Hodgson 1837 (bush-quails)
    • Ophrysia Bonaparte 1856 (Himalayan quail)
    • Pternistis Wagler 1832 (partridge-francolins; African spurfowls)

Past taxonomy[]

This is the paraphyletic former ordering of Phasianidae, which primarily grouped genera based on appearance and body plans.^[11]

• Subfamily Perdicinae Horsfield 1821
  • Xenoperdix Dinesen et al. 1994 (forest partridges)
  • Caloperdix Blyth 1861
  • Rollulus Bonnaterre 1791 (crested partridges)
  • Melanoperdix Jerdon 1864
  • Arborophila Hodgson 1837 (hill partridges)
  • Rhizothera Gray 1841
  • Lerwa Hodgson 1837
  • Tropicoperdix Blyth, 1859
  • Ammoperdix Gould 1851 (see-see and sand partridges)
  • Synoicus Bosc 1792
  • Margaroperdix Reichenbach 1853
  • Coturnix Garsault 1764 (typical Old World quails)
  • Tetraogallus Gray 1832 (snowcocks)
  • Alectoris Kaup 1829 (rock partridges)
  • Pternistis Wagler 1832 (partridge-francolins; African spurfowls)
  • Ophrysia Bonaparte 1856
  • Perdicula Hodgson 1837 (bush-quails)
  • Bambusicola Gould 1863 (bamboo partridges)
  • Scleroptila Blyth 1852
  • Peliperdix Bonaparte 1856
  • Francolinus Stephens 1819 (true francolins)
  • Ortygornis Reichenbach, 1852
  • Campocolinus Crowe et al 2020
  • Perdix Brisson 1760 (true partridges)
  • Haematortyx Sharpe 1879
  • Galloperdix Blyth 1845 (Indian spurfowls)
  • Tetraophasis Elliot 1871 (monal-partridges)
• Subfamily Meleagridinae
  • Meleagris Linnaeus 1758 (turkeys)
• Subfamily Phasianinae (pheasants)
  • Polyplectron Temminck 1807 (peacock-pheasants)
  • Gallus Brisson 1760 (junglefowl, including the domestic chicken)
  • Ithaginis Wagler 1832
  • Tragopan Cuvier 1829 non Gray 1841 (tragopans)
  • Lophophorus Temminck 1813 non Agassiz 1846 (monals)
  • Rheinardia Maingonnat 1882
  • Argusianus Rafinesque 1815 (argus pheasants)
  • Afropavo Chapin 1936 (African peafowl)
  • Pavo Linnaeus 1758 (Asiatic peafowl)
  • Syrmaticus Wagler 1832 (long-tailed pheasants)
  • Phasianus Linnaeus 1758 (true pheasants)
  • Chrysolophus Gray 1834 (ruffed pheasants)
  • Lophura Fleming 1822 non Gray 1827 non Walker 1856 (gallopheasants)
  • Catreus Cabanis 1851
  • Crossoptilon Hodgson 1838 (eared pheasants)
• Subfamily Tetraoninae (grouse)
  • Pucrasia Gray 1841 (koklass pheasant)
  • Bonasa Stephens 1819 (ruffed grouse)
  • Tetrastes Keyserling & Blasius 1840 (hazel grouse)
  • Centrocercus Swainson 1832 (sage-grouse)
  • Dendragapus Elliot 1864 (blue grouse)
  • Tympanuchus Gloger 1841 (prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse)
  • Lagopus Brisson 1760 (ptarmigans)
  • Falcipennis Elliot 1864 (Siberian grouse)
  • Canachites Stejneger, 1885 (spruce grouse)
  • Tetrao Linnaeus 1758 (capercaillies)
  • Lyrurus Swainson 1832 (black grouse)

Fossil genera[]

Extinct genus assignment follows the Mikko's Phylogeny Archive^[12] and Paleofile.com websites.^[13]

• † Tugarinov 1940b
• † Kuročkin 1982
• † Hou 1985
• † Jánossy 1976b
• † Harrison 1978
• †Lophogallus Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2010
• † Sánchez Marco 2009
• † Brodkorb 1952 [ Lambrecht 1933 nomen nudum ; Miogallus Lambrecht 1933]
• † Depéret 1892 [ Boev 1997; Tugarinov 1940b non Gaillard 1939; Janossy 1974 ]
• †Palaeortyx Milne-Edwards 1869 [ Milne-Edwards 1869]
• †Panraogallus Li et al. 2018
• † Kretzoi 1955 [ Tugarinov 1940 non Gaillard 1939]
• † Burchak-Abramovich & Meladze 1972
• † Brodkorb 1964
• †Shandongornis Yeh 1997
• † Wang et al. 2006
• † Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2009
• Tribe Tetraonini (grouse)
  • † Zelenkov Bonaparte 1828
  • † Zelenkov Wetmore 1930
  • †Proagriocharis Zelenkov Martin & Tate 1970
  • †Rhegminornis Zelenkov Wetmore 1943

Phylogeny[]

Living Galliformes based on the work by John Boyd.^[14]

Rollulinae   ?Melanoperdix     ?Rhizothera     Xenoperdix       Arborophila       Rollulus     Caloperdix           Pavoninae   Tropicoperdix       Ammoperdix         Synoicus     Excalfactoria         Anurophasis     Margaroperdix     Coturnix               Tetraogallus     Alectoris         Pternistis       Ophrysia     Perdicula             Gallini     Bambusicola     Gallus         Scleroptila       Peliperdix     Francolinus           Pavonini     Rheinardia     Argusianus         Afropavo     Pavo       Polyplectronini   Haematortyx       Galloperdix     Polyplectron             Phasianinae Ithaginini Ithaginis     Lophophorini   Tragopan       ?Lerwa     Tetraophasis     Lophophorus         Phasianini   Perdix       Syrmaticus         Phasianus     Chrysolophus         Lophura       Catreus     Crossoptilon             Tetraonini   Pucrasia       Meleagris       Bonasa       Tetrastes       Centrocercus       Dendragapus     Tympanuchus         Lagopus       Falcipennis       Lyrurus     Tetrao

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phasianidae.

Wikispecies has information related to Phasianidae.

External links[]

• Phasianidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Phasianidae at Curlie