Uniparental care often means that males do not contribute to the wellbeing of their offspring. For this reason, little attention has been given to avian species where the absent male contributes indirectly to the wellbeing of his chicks. This paper expands our understanding of parental care by analysing the uniparental system of Swainson’s Spurfowl Pternistis swainsonii. Field observations were conducted from January 1980 to May 2016 along a transect on maize farms south-east of Johannesburg and in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve (Gauteng province) as well as on the farm La Boheme and in the Borakalalo National Park (North West province) in South Africa. South-east of Johannesburg, uniparental care releases the male to maintain a breeding territory with temporary resources used by females and offspring during a critical period. However, uniparental care could also provide territorial males the opportunity to attract and court multiple females from their elevated perches.

Background How do Orange River Francolins (Scleroptila levaillantoides) adapt to an intensive farming landscape with grass (grazing) camps and crop cultivation? To answer this question, a study was carried out in south-east of Johannesburg in South Africa to clarify the interaction of francolins with a landscape consisting of land use mosaics. Methods A transect-road of 45 km was traversed weekly during November 2015–October 2016 through flat maize (Zea mays) and cattle (Bos primigenius) grazing fields. Francolins were counted in three land use mosaic types along the transect-road (including the road): grass camps on both sides of the road (grass/grass edges); arable fields on both sides (arable/arable edges) and arable land on one side with grass camps on the opposite side of the road (arable/grass edges). Results Francolins used all three mosaic types, but the arable/arable edges were least frequented. Nonetheless, the arable/arable edges played an important part: francolins, including females with chicks, moved along the arable/arable edges, which enabled contact between sub-populations, and the arable/arable edges provided temporary cover (e.g. stubble and maize plants) and ploughed firebreaks to forage (e.g. for bulbs). Conclusion Cultivation of crop within grasslands does not constrain breeding, movement and habitat use by the Orange River Francolin. For conservation purposes it is critical that the fine-scale mosaic of grazing and cultivation areas remain intact.

This paper describes the chick plumage of spurfowl (Pternistis) and francolin (Francolinus, Dendroperdix, Peliperdix and Scleroptila) chicks, tests its significance for phylogenetic relationships and also explores the patterns of character evolution in the francolin and spurfowl lineages. Previously regarded as monophyletic, the two evolutionarily distant clades are now divided into five genera. Questions considered were whether chick plumage supports the dichotomy between spurfowls and francolins and what role habitat matching plays. The study was based mainly on photographs of chick skins from the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum at Tring. Eight plumage characters were selected for comparative scoring, summarised in a matrix. These characters were subsequently analysed phylogenetically and their evolution was traced on the existing molecular phylogeny using a parsimony approach. Based on chick plumage the phylogeny of species groups among francolins and spurfowls, was largely unresolved possibly ascribed to a high degree of symplesiomorphy inherent among the Phasianids. This possibly could have resulted in a high degree of polytomy particularly among the spurfowls and francolins. Furthermore, the ancestral state reconstructions revealed high prevalence of symplesiomorphic states and reversals which do not help in the classification of groups. Although the differences are described that separate some African francolins from spurfowls, other francolins (in Asia and Africa) share remarkably similar characteristics with spurfowls. Plain dark dorsal plumage is probably advantageous for avoiding detection by predators in forests, while facial stripes optimise the breaking of body shapes in dense grass cover (as in Scleroptila spp.) and semi-striped faces are advantageous for stationary camouflage under tree and bush cover (as in Pternistis spp.). Although symplesiomorphy is a hereditary explanation for downy colours and patterns, the traits relevant for habitat matching are combined in a manner which is determined (adaptation) by natural selection.

Transect field observations were conducted on the behaviour of Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena to describe male coalitions in the Borakalalo National Park, North West province, South Africa during May, August, October and December 2008, and again in July 2009. Crested Francolin form male coalitions following the breeding season in May. Young males leave their natal coveys and join old males in these coalitions, which are not based on kinship and consist of up to nine members. These coalitions are joined by a young female from June to October, followed by the breeding season when pairs replace coalitions. The coalition is a prelude to successful mating. The single female calls in the coalition, which triggers a cacophony, and her presence often erupts in physical conflicts between males. This cacophony is interpreted as signal jamming where males prevent one another from forming a duet with the female, clearly showing competition between them for winning over the female for mating. A well-synchronised duet forms the basis of pair formation. Old females are not particularly selected for pairing. The coalition is also a surrogate covey for young males because it optimises predator surveillance. The pair bond also optimises predator surveillance for each other throughout the year.