Erckel's Spurfowl Life History

Habitat

In their native African range, Erckel’s Spurfowl inhabit steep, rocky slopes covered with shrubs and grasses, as well as areas of dense vegetation along streams. They typically occur between 2,000 and 3,500 meters (6,600–11,500 feet) elevation but can range as low as 920 meters (3,000 feet). In Hawaii, Erckel’s Spurfowl’s utilize grasslands, shrublands, open woodlands, forests (both native and nonnative), streamside areas, and even golf courses. They range from 100 to 3,100 meters (300–10,200 feet) elevation across the Hawaiian Islands. They frequently occur on steep, rugged slopes, but on some islands also inhabit flat areas with a mix of shrubs and grasses.

Food

Erckel’s Spurfowl feed frequently on seeds and insects. They also eat plant buds, flowers, leaves, rhizomes, tubers, shoots, fruits, and berries. They forage on the ground in shrubby areas, forest edges, and cultivated fields, digging or scratching at the ground with the bill and feet to uncover grains.

Nesting

Nest Placement

Placed on bare ground and hidden under dense vegetation.

Nest Description

A shallow scrape or depression on the ground, either unlined or with a limited lining of grass, stems, twigs, leaves, or feathers.

Nesting Facts

Behavior

Erckel’s Spurfowl are wary birds that largely stick to dense plant cover during the day. They call mainly at dawn and dusk, and can be very inconspicuous during the rest of the day. Erckel’s Spurfowl is a ground-dwelling species that often runs rather than flies. They are at home on steep, rocky cliffs, walking and making short flights on cliff edges to feed on seedheads inaccessible to other animals.

Like many game birds, this is a highly social species, often found in coveys of up to 20 individuals. Pairs are likely monogamous, and both parents care for the young by brooding them and showing them food. Chicks are mobile right after hatching and can feed on their own, but young birds probably stay with their parents until the following breeding season.

Conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Erckel’s Spurfowl’s conservation status as Least Concern. The population size is unknown, but this species has a very large range, suggesting that the population, which appears stable, is greater than the Vulnerable threshold of 10,000 mature individuals.

Credits

BirdLife International. 2018. Pternistis erckelii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22678865A132050815. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678865A132050815.en.

Floyd, Ted (2025). Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada. Eighth edition. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.

Islam, K. (2020). Erckel's Spurfowl (Pternistis erckelii), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.ercfra.01

Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P.L. and Berrett, D.G. (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Raine, H. and A. F. Raine (2020). American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Hawai'i. Scott & Nix, Inc. New York, NY, USA.

Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK.

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