The Red-wing Francolin lives in scattered grassland populations in eastern and southern Africa. It has a rufous head and neck and mottled plumage.
Adult males and females look alike. They have a rufous head and neck, a black-and-white breast band, and buff underparts with rufous spots. Males have a spur; juveniles are duller, with a less distinct breast band and collar.
Red-winged Francolins feed on plants and small invertebrates at ground level in grassland. Vegetation provides both concealment and feeding opportunities. Its height, cover and plant composition form part of the environment used by these ground-dwelling birds.
A study published in 2001 compared wetlands, rocky outcrops and grassland in South Africa’s Mpumalanga highlands. Commercial sheep-grazed habitats had shorter vegetation, less cover and fewer kinds and quantities of francolin food plants. Taller, denser vegetation was associated with more diverse and available food plants.
Crop contents also differed. Birds collected in heavily grazed and frequently burned grassland had eaten fewer plant species but showed a higher incidence of invertebrate food. The findings connected land use, ground vegetation and the composition of the birds’ meals.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The Mpumalanga study links food plants and protective cover with habitat suitability. A separate South African grassland study describes Red-winged Francolins being restricted to rocky refuges where surrounding grazed swards were too short. Vegetation structure and the frequency of burning and grazing are therefore relevant to regional grassland conservation.