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Species authority page

Black francolin

Francolinus francolinus · Upland game birds

Black francolin (Francolinus francolinus): Male: black head and chest with white face patch and belly spots, reddish collar, brown back. Female: mottled brown with a hint of reddish collar. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the black francolin map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Black francolin walking on bare ground
Adobe Stock · Standard License (asset 622169985)
Scientific name
Francolinus francolinus
Family
Phasianidae
In North America
Introduced
Range
Native to India; introduced to Hawaii in 1959. NatureServe records it in Florida.
Biology

How to identify it

Male: black head and chest with white face patch and belly spots, reddish collar, brown back. [1][2][3][4]

Female: mottled brown with a hint of reddish collar. [1][2][3][4]

33-36 cm, 380-650 g. [1][2][3][4]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Thick vegetation, brushy areas and tall grassland, generally near water; mosaic of forest and cultivated land, not interior forest. [1][2][3][4]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Loud creaking call during breeding season [1][2][3][4]

Scares easily and hides, preferring to run rather than flush (Hawaii) [1][2][3][4]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Native to India; introduced to Hawaii in 1959. NatureServe records it in Florida.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. BIOLOGICALBlack Francolin

    National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society

  2. BIOLOGICALblack francolin

    State of Hawaii, Hawaii Birding Trails · reviewed 2026-09-30

    State of Hawaii, Hawaii Birding Trails

  3. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  4. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources