Narrative

Black francolin (Francolinus francolinus) is found in the northern half of India. This francolin has been introduced to Hawaii. The male to this 13 inch francolin has a black breast marked with white. There is an orange cape and orange neck ring. There is a white patch behind the eye. However, the upper throat is black. The female is much paler and is marked with pale brown.

This lifeform is locally common.

This lifeoform is found in India. This non-native lifeform is now locally established in North America..

Francolin genus (Francolinus) is native to the Old World. There are species in the warmer areas of Eurasia and species in Africa. There are about 41 known species. All but 5 of these are found in Africa. The francolins are related to the partridges. Several of the species are difficult to tell apart, and this is especially true of several of the females.

Partridges and Old World Quails (Family Perdicidae) are a large group of birds that are frequently combined into the Pheasant Family. (Some authors place about 105 species in the Old World Quail group.) To simplify searches, we have kept this as a separate family. We list a few of the better known genera: Alectoris(7), Francolinus(44), Coturnix(9), and Arborophila(27).

Fowl group (Galliformes order) contains the various chickens and turkey-like birds of the world. There are about 240 different species of fowl known. Many of the wild species are endangered. Several species such as the domesticated chicken and turkey are main food sources in the world. Most fowl are grain eaters and spend a good portion of their life searching for food on the ground. Select species have been domesticated for their beauty and/or edibility, others are considered good game birds.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.