Phasianidae

= Phasianidae = From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search 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 is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae and the Perdicinae. 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.

Contents

 * 1Description
 * 2Distribution and habitat
 * 3Behaviour and ecology
 * 4Relationship with humans
 * 5Systematics and evolution
 * 5.1Phylogeny
 * 6References
 * 7External links

Description[edit]
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 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 elongated tail streamers) in green peafowl, thus they beat even the true parrots in length diversity within a family of birds.[1][2] Generally, sexual dimorphism is seen in size, with males tending to be larger than females. They are generally plump, with broad, relatively short wings and strong legs. Many have a spur on their legs, a feature shared only with guineafowl and turkeys. The bill is short and generally strong, particularly in species that dig for food. Males of the larger species often have brightly coloured plumage, as well as facial ornaments such as wattles or crests.

Distribution and habitat[edit]
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 Meleagridinae (turkeys) are native to the New World, while the Tetraoninae (grouse) are circumpolar. The greatest diversity of species is in Southeast Asia and Africa. The Congo peacock is specific to the African Congo. The subfamily Perdicinae has a much more widespread distribution. Within their range, they occupy almost every available habitat except for the boreal forests and tundra.

The family is generally sedentary and resident, although some quails undertake long migrations. 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 peacocks and chickens have also escaped (or been released) and become feral.

Behaviour and ecology[edit]
The pheasants and partridges 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 stumps of bushes. Nests can vary from mounds of vegetation to slight scrapes in the ground. As many as 18 eggs can be laid in the nest, although 7-12 are the more usual numbers, with smaller numbers in tropical species. Incubation is almost always performed by the female only, and lasts from 14–30 days depending on the species.

Relationship with humans[edit]
Several species of pheasants and partridges are extremely important to humans. The red junglefowl of Southeast Asia is the wild 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[edit]
See also: List of Galliformes

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]

A tentative list of the subfamilies of the Phasianidae was:[5] and extinct genus assignment follows the Mikko's Phylogeny Archive[8] and Paleofile.com websites.[9][10]
 * †Alectoris” pliocaena  Tugarinov 1940b
 * †Bantamyx  Kuročkin 1982
 * †Diangallus  Hou 1985
 * †“Gallus” beremendensis  Jánossy 1976b
 * †“Gallus” europaeus  Harrison 1978
 * †Lophogallus  Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2010
 * †Megalocoturnix  Sánchez Marco 2009
 * †Miophasianus  Brodkorb 1952  [Miophasianus  Lambrecht 1933 nomen nudum  ; Miogallus  Lambrecht 1933 ]
 * †Palaeocryptonyx  Depéret 1892  [Chauvireria  Boev 1997 ; Pliogallus  Tugarinov 1940b non Gaillard 1939 ; Lambrechtia  Janossy 1974  ]
 * †Palaeortyx  Milne-Edwards 1869  [Palaeoperdix  Milne-Edwards 1869 ]
 * †Plioperdix  Kretzoi 1955  [Pliogallus  Tugarinov 1940 non Gaillard 1939 ]
 * †Rustaviornis  Burchak-Abramovich & Meladze 1972
 * †Schaubortyx  Brodkorb 1964
 * †Shandongornis  Yeh 1997
 * †Shanxiornis  Wang et al. 2006
 * †Tologuica  Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2009
 * Tropicoperdix  Blyth 1859  [Phoenicoperdix  Hartlaub 1860 ; Peloperdix  Jerdon 1864 ]
 * Subfamily Perdicinae  Horsfield 1821
 * Melanoperdix  Jerdon 1864
 * Rhizothera  Gray 1841
 * Xenoperdix  Dinesen et al. 1994  (forest partridges)
 * Arborophila  Hodgson 1837  (hill partridges)
 * Rollulus  Bonnaterre 1791
 * Caloperdix  Blyth 1861
 * Ammoperdix  Gould 1851  (see-see and sand partridge)
 * Synoicus  Bosc 1792
 * Excalfactoria  Bonaparte 1856
 * Anurophasis  van Oort 1910
 * Margaroperdix  Reichenbach 1853
 * Coturnix  Garsault 1764  (mouse pheasants)
 * 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)
 * Perdix  Brisson 1760  (true partridges)
 * Haematortyx  Sharpe 1879
 * Galloperdix  Blyth 1845  (Indian spurfowls)
 * Lerwa  Hodgson 1837
 * Tetraophasis  Elliot 1871  (monal-partridges)
 * Subfamily Meleagridinae
 * Meleagris (turkeys)
 * Subfamily Phasianinae (pheasants)
 * Polyplectron  Temminck 1807  (peacock-pheasants)
 * Gallus  Brisson 1760  (junglefowls)
 * Ithaginis  Wagler 1832
 * Tragopan  Cuvier 1829 non Gray 1841  (horned pheasants)
 * Lophophorus  Temminck 1813 non Agassiz 1846  (monals)
 * Rheinardia  Maingonnat 1882
 * Argusianus  Rafinesque 1815
 * Afropavo  Chapin 1936  (Congo peacocks)
 * Pavo  Linnaeus 1758  (peacocks)
 * Syrmaticus  Wagler 1832  (long-tailed pheasants)
 * Phasianus  Linnaeus 1758  (typical pheasants)
 * Chrysolophus  Gray 1834  (ruffed pheasants)
 * Lophura  Fleming 1822 non Gray 1827 non Walker 1856
 * Catreus  Cabanis 1851
 * Crossoptilon  Hodgson 1838  (eared pheasants)
 * Subfamily Tetraoninae (grouse)
 * †Cynchramus  Zelenkov Bonaparte 1828
 * †Palaealectoris  Zelenkov Wetmore 1930
 * †Proagriocharis  Zelenkov Martin & Tate 1970
 * †Rhegminornis  Zelenkov Wetmore 1943
 * Pucrasia  Gray 1841
 * Bonasa  Stephens 1819
 * Tetrastes  Keyserling & Blasius 1840
 * Centrocercus  Swainson 1832  (sage-grouse)
 * Dendragapus  Elliot 1864
 * Tympanuchus  Gloger 1841  (prairie chickens)
 * Lagopus  Brisson 1760  (ptarmigans)
 * Falcipennis  Elliot 1864
 * Tetrao  Linnaeus 1758  (capercaillies and black grouse)

Phylogeny[edit]
Living Galliformes based on the work by John Boyd.[11]

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 * Phasianinae
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 * Phasianinae
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 * Phasianinae
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