I love sleeping late…but when you’re in the bush these guys make it impossible. Francolins and spurfowls are like roosters: they greet the sunrise with their loud, crowing calls. They are often the first, and the last, birds to call each day. Which species you will hear depends on which habitat you’re in. Let’s listen…

Hartlaub’s Spurfowl
Klipfisant

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In this localised Namibian spurfowl the male and female call together in a duet. They take turns. But their timing is so perfect that it sounds like one bird. It’s a strange sound, like they’re saying the word “video”. I recorded this early one morning on a giant rock outcrop in the Erongo Mountains.

Red-necked Spurfowl
Rooikeelfisant

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Red-necked Spurfowls like forest edges and tropical habitats, where they are not always that easy to spot. I recorded these calling last thing in the evening in lowland forest along the shore of Lake Malawi. It’s like Swainson’s, but faster. There’s a Red-faced Cisticola and White-browed Scrub-Robin too.

Swainson’s Spurfowl
Bosveldfisant

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In savanna habitats you’ll hear these coarse crowing sounds every morning. The cock (male) often stands on a termite mound, fallen tree or other vantage point while he calls. You can hear another one answering far in the background. This sound could perhaps be mistaken for a Northern Black Korhaan.

Natal Spurfowl
Natalse Fisant

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Oh man these guys are noisy! Especially when all the neighbours start answering each other like in this clip. The closest one is at the end of the clip – I didn’t even know he was there hiding in the grass until he started calling. Natal Spurfowls like dense habitats, and are often near water.

Red-billed Spurfowl
Rooibekfisant

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Red-billed Spurfowls live in dry regions such as Botswana and Namibia. Their call starts loud but then becomes slower and softer, like they are stuttering. There are lots of birds in the background: Fork-tailed Drongo, Laughing Dove, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver and Acacia Pied Barbet.

Cape Spurfowl
Kaapse Fisant

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These live in my garden and come begging for seeds every morning. This clip is a bit longer because I wanted you to hear their other vocalisations as well. You can hear them clucking softly while eating, and then the higher sounds of a youngster. At the end they get a fright and all fly away with a lot of noise.

Crested Francolin
Bospatrys

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This is another one that calls in duet. One bird says “Peter” and its mate says “Cheater”. But they alternate very quickly, like this: peter-cheater, peter-cheater, peter-cheater… In Afrikaans it sounds like pietersielie, pietersielie… (that’s the Afrikaans word for parsley).

Coqui Francolin
Swempie

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Coqui’s have two different calls. The first variation on the clip is probably heard more often. It’s a loud kerrek-kerrek-kerrek that starts loud and quickly becomes softer. The second part is where their name comes from: co-qui, co-qui, co-qui… Or in Afrikaans, swem-pie, swem-pie, swem-pie…

Grey-winged Francolin
Bergpatrys

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Believe it or not, but I recorded this clip with my phone. They were right next to the car! All four of these last francolins have similar musical, whistling calls. To me it sounds like Grey-winged says sleep, sleep, sleep, drink-DEW! At the end of the clip several birds are calling together.

Orange River Francolin
Kalaharipatrys

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Orange River Francolins and Shelley’s Francolins sound a bit similar. But Orange River’s call is much quicker. To me it sounds like it says I’ll-drink-your-tea, I’ll-drink-your-tea, I’ll-drink-your-tea. You’ll hear them early in the morning in dry grassland, open savanna and in the Kalahari.

Shelley’s Francolin
Laeveldpatrys

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This is one of my favourite bird calls. I used to hear them a lot on a game farm that we had in the Waterberg mountains. They say I’ll drink, your beer! I’ll drink, your beer! I’ll drink, your beer! It’s a beautiful and unmistakable sound! My friend Anton recorded these ones in Kruger National Park.

Red-winged Francolin
Rooivlerkpatrys

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Red-wings like moist, mountain grassland, especially around vleis. They make a lovely whistling call. To me it sounds like kip, kip, kip, kip, I-SEE-you! But you can use your imagination and come up with your own version. In fact, that’s a great way to remember bird calls. There are two birds calling in this clip.

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