DefinePK

Abstract

This study examined the diet of the Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) in Tehsil Nara, District Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan. Twenty-eight samples of gizzards and crops were collected in the four seasons; spring (n = 6), summer (n = 4), autumn (n = 7), and winter (n = 11). Specimens were obtained from local hunters during morning and evening hours. Through analysis, 12 plant-based food items were identified, Brassica campestris, Pennisetum typhoideum, Carthemus oxycantha, Eruca sativa, Triticuma estivum, Vigna radiata, Oxalis corniculata, and Sorghum bicolor. Furthermore, there were eight items of animal origin, which included three insect orders. Formica rufa (Hymenoptera), Coptotermes  formosanus (Isoptera), and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera). The mean intestinal mass of the Grey Francolin was 147.1 g, and the mean fecal content was 10.50 g, ranging between 1.26 g. The average  weight of the intestines and food content was 115.86 g and 8.27 ± 0.53 g during morning and evening hours, respectively, which showed that there was a difference in the feeding intensity between day and night. Seasonal differences were evident in plant intake, which was lowest in summer (2.59 ± 0.67 g), followed by winter (1.47 ± 0.65 g) and autumn (1.23 ± 0.48 g), and highest in spring (2.33 ± 0.89 g). Insect consumption also varied seasonally, with mean values of 1.56 ± 0.88 g in spring, 2.38 ± 1.03 g, in autumn, 4.15 ± 1.93 g, in summer, and 2.5 ± 1.44 g in winter. These observations imply that the dietary habits of GFP are flexible and depend on seasonal food resources. This research also offers great details on the feeding ecology of this species that can be applied in the future by conservation efforts and habitat management in areas of Pakistan (arid and semi-arid arid) by Pakistan.