Swamp Francolin

The swamp francolin, or swamp partridge, is native to the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India and Nepal, and the Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal marks the western limit of its range. It is considered extinct in the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh. Early accounts distinguish it by its large size and comparatively long legs, with the male marked by spurs (Finn 1911, as reported on Wikipedia).

The upper plumage is brown barred with buff, the outer tail feathers chestnut, the throat bright rust-red, and the rest of the underparts brown streaked with white. It affects high grass and cane-brakes near the edges of rivers and wetlands, though it will come into cultivated ground to feed. Very little is known about breeding: five eggs, cream-coloured and slightly speckled, have been taken on two occasions in April.