Phasianidae

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Temporal range: Oligocene-recent, 30–0 Ma
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 *Phasianus colchicus*
 * See text

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]