Grey Francolin (Ortygornis pondicerianus) -A small gamebird with an orangish face and fine barring throughout. It was formerly also called the Grey partridge. Occurs in open grassy areas such as dry grasslands, scrub, and agricultural land.
Often found in groups. Call, sometimes given simultaneously by several birds, is a loud repetitive “kateetar-kateetar”. The local name of teetar is based on their calls. Native to South Asia. Males and females are similar. The male can have up to two spurs on the legs while females usually lack them..
Shot at Coorg Outskirts, Karnataka, India. Jan 2026 © Dr.Bishan Monnappa
