Current Population Status, Habitat Distribution, and Threats to Black (Francolinus francolinus) and Grey (Francolinus pondicerianus) Francolins in Nara District, Khairpur, Sindh

Authors

  • Qalandar Bux Bhatti Department of Zoology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Zaibun-Nisa Memon Department of Zoology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Usama Asif Department of Zoology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Kalsoom Memon Department of Zoology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Sumbul Mureed Mastoi College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China & Department of Entomology Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan.
  • Naveed Ahmed Abbasi College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan China.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v4i1.2842

Keywords:

Black Francolin, Grey Francolin, Nara District, Khairpur, Avian Ecology, Game Birds, Habitat Distribution, Conservation.

Abstract

The ecological importance of the francolins in the South Asian ecosystems is the game birds, which are well known to play a role in the agro ecological system and also in providing a culture. The Black (Francolinus francolinus) and the Grey (Francolinus pondicerianus) Francolins are however becoming extinct due to hunting, habitat destruction as well as agricultural intensification. This research is a case study carried out in Nara District, Khairpur, Sindh which assesses the present population status, distribution of habitat and other threat to the species. International surveys were conducted in semi-arid croplands, scrublands, desert margins, irrigated croplands and riverine belts in the form of transects and point counts. The findings explores that the Grey Francolin is extensive with the greatest densities in semi-arid croplands and scrublands due to its flexibility towards fragmented habitats and to the capacity to survive human activity. Although Black Francolins were restricted in a few areas told by the irrigeable crops and along rivers and highlighted their reliance on water and thick cover. Statistical tests showed that the two species have a major difference in the choice of habitat. Comparative evaluation of previous regional survey indicates that the population of the Grey Francolin is relatively steady, on the other side, the population of Black Francolin is more sharply decreased in Sindh, which indicates their susceptibility. These results highlight the importance of target species conservation, which involves habitat restoration, regulation of hunting and enlightenment programs. The research would serve as a base reference to the ecology of birds in the Sindh region and be used in greater management projects of biodiversity in Pakistan.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Ullah, A., Shams, S., Ayaz, S., Ibáñez Arancibia, E., Siraj, U., De los Rios-Escalante, P. R., ... & Badshah, F. (2025). Ecological and Population Dynamics of Black and Grey Francolin (Phasianidae) in Totali Game Reserve, Pakistan. Birds, 6(2), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/birds6020026

2. Kumar, A., Sharma, D. K., Lochan, R., Dewan, S., & Negi, S. (2020). Relative abundance, habitat preference, and breeding ecology of Asian Black francolin, Francolinus francolinus asiae (Bonaparte, 1856)(Galliformes: Phasianidae) from North-Western Himalaya. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 13(2), 162-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2020.02.001

3. Hussain, I., & KHALIL, S. (2023). Population biology of the Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) in an agro-ecosystem of the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan. Avian Research, 3(2), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.5122/cbirds.2012.0009

4. Ullah, A., Shams, S., Ayaz, S., Ibáñez-Arancibia, E., Siraj, U., De los Rios-Escalante, P. R., & Badshah, F. (2025). Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan. Birds, 6(2), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/birds6020016

5. Khan, A. R., Khan, A. A., Iqbal, J., Khan, A. M., Hassan, Z., Aatif, H. M., & Shahzad, U. (2021). Impact of feeding habits on population ecology and breeding biology of grey francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) in District Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 53(6), 2351. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjz/20191201141217

6. Ullah, A., & Khan, K. (2021). Population density, habitat preference, and breeding biology of Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) in Malakand division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Ornis Hungarica, 29(2), 59-70. https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2021-0019

7. Basit, A., Anwar, M., Rakha, B. A., Ansari, M. S., Munawar, N., & Akhter, A. (2021). Population density of black francolin (Francolinus francolinus L.) in Kala Chitta range, Pakistan. JAPS: Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 31(5). https://doi.org/10.36899/japs.2021.5.0356

8. Kakakhel, S. F. B. (2020). Distribution and Habitat Selection of Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) in Swegali Game Reserve District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Journal of Bioresource Management, 7(4), 3. https://doi.org/10.35691/jbm.0202.0148

9. Brraich, O. S., Saini, S. K., & Singh, J. (2023). Composition of avian communities in Ranjit Sagar Conservation Reserve, Punjab, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 15(9), 23870-23878. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8507.15.9.23870-23878

10. Abrha, A. M., Rödder, D., Gedeon, K., Podsiadlowski, L., & Töpfer, T. (2025). Evaluating the impact of climate change on mountaintop endemic bird species in the Ethiopian highlands: insights from moorland francolin (Scleroptila psilolaema). Ornithology Research, 33(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43388-025-00252-1

11. Kumar, A., Dewan, S., Lochan, R., & Sharma, D. K. (2020). Spatial genetic structure of black francolin (Francolinus francolinus asiae) in the North-Western Himalayan region based on mitochondrial control region. Mitochondrial DNA Part A, 31(4), 163-170. https://doi.org/10.1080/24701394.2020.1757664

12. Herpin, U., Gauchet, L., Strasberg, D., & Zuel, N. (2025). Effects of the Trophic Ecology of Exotic Game Birds on Mascarenes Biodiversity: The Case of Francolinus pondicerianus in Mauritius. African Journal of Ecology, 63(1), e70015. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70015

13. Sangam Khalil, M. A., & Hussain, I. (2021). 17. Population estimation of grey Francolin (Francolinus Pondicerianus) in salt range, Punjab, Pakistan. Pure and Applied Biology (PAB), 4(4), 584-596. https://doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2015.44018

14. Awan, M. N., Kabir, M., Ahmad, S., & Huettmann, F. (2020). The Future of biodiversity in the changing watersheds of Kashmir Himalaya, Pakistan: Conservation challenges and opportunities. Hindu Kush-Himalaya Watersheds Downhill: Landscape Ecology and Conservation Perspectives, 113-133. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36275-1_7

15. Das, S., Srivastava, A., & Hore, U. (2025). Impact of agricultural land use on diversity and structure of farmland birds. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 381, 109438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109438

16. Bhoi, T. K., Samal, I., Behera, B., Mahanta, D. K., Komal, J., & Athulya, R. (2025). Predatory birds in agroforestry: Dawn of a new era biological control from multitrophic interactions. Avian Research, 100260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2025.100260

17. Haq, R. U., Abdulabad, A., Asghar, S., & Szabo, J. K. (2023). Clicks and comments: Representation of wildlife crime in Pakistan in social media posts. Global Ecology and Conservation, 43, e02473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02473

18. Sagar, H. S. C., Gilroy, J. J., Swinfield, T., Burivalova, Z., Yong, D. L., Gemita, E., ... & Hua, F. (2023). Avifauna recovers faster in areas less accessible to trapping in regenerating tropical forests. Biological Conservation, 279, 109901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109901

19. Dolman, P. M., Scotland, K. M., Burnside, R. J., & Collar, N. J. (2021). Sustainable hunting and the conservation of the threatened houbara bustards. Journal for Nature Conservation, 61, 126000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126000

20. Wong, S. T., Mohamed, A., Mathai, J., Niedballa, J., Kissing, J., Lagan, P., ... & Sollmann, R. (2024). Changes in tropical terrestrial vertebrate communities along two anthropogenic gradients: Forest degradation and accessibility. Biotropica, 56(3), e13320. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13320

21. Hasui, É., Martensen, A. C., Uezu, A., Pimentel, R. G., Ramos, F. N., Ribeiro, M. C., & Metzger, J. P. (2024). Populations across bird species distribution ranges respond differently to habitat loss and fragmentation: implications for conservation strategies. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 22(1), 43-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2023.11.003

22. Hernández-Navarro, A. J., Robledano, F., Jiménez-Franco, M. V., Royle, J. A., & Calvo, J. F. (2024). Long-term trends of local bird populations based on monitoring schemes: are they suitable for justifying management measures?. Journal of Ornithology, 165(2), 355-367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-023-02114-3

23. Ónodi, G., Czeglédi, I., & Erős, T. (2024). Drivers of the taxonomic and functional structuring of aquatic and terrestrial floodplain bird communities. Landscape Ecology, 39(9), 174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01948-3

Downloads

Published

2026-01-30

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): Indus Journal of Bioscience Research

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Indus Journal of Bioscience Research

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Bhatti, Q. B., Memon, Z.-N., Asif, U., Memon, K., Mastoi, S. M., & Abbasi, N. A. (2026). Current Population Status, Habitat Distribution, and Threats to Black (Francolinus francolinus) and Grey (Francolinus pondicerianus) Francolins in Nara District, Khairpur, Sindh. Indus Journal of Bioscience Research, 4(1), 75-78. https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v4i1.2842