Phasianidae

Phasianidae
Temporal range: Oligocene–recent, 30–0 Ma
Crested partridgeRed-billed partridgeFerruginous partridgeSri Lankan junglefowlIndian peafowlHarlequin quailCommon pheasantWild turkeyWestern capercaillie
Diversity of Phasianidae

1st row (Rollulinae): crested partridge, red-billed partridge, ferruginous partridge;
2nd row (Phasianinae "non-erectile clade"): Sri Lankan junglefowl, Indian peafowl, harlequin quail;
3rd row (Phasianinae "erectile clade"): common pheasant, wild turkey, western capercaillie

Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Superfamily: Phasianoidea
Family: Phasianidae
Horsfield, 1821
Type genus
Phasianus
Subfamilies

Rollulinae
Phasianinae

Synonyms

Gallidae

The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds.[1] The family includes 185 species divided into 54 genera. It was formerly broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae and the Perdicinae. However, this treatment is now known to be paraphyletic and polyphyletic, respectively, and more recent evidence supports breaking it up into two subfamilies: Rollulinae and Phasianinae, with the latter containing multiple tribes within two clades. The New World quail (Odontophoridae) and guineafowl (Numididae) were formerly sometimes included in this family, but are now typically placed in families of their own; conversely, grouse and turkeys, formerly often treated as distinct families (Tetraonidae and Meleagrididae, respectively), are now known to be deeply nested within Phasianidae, so they are now included in the present family.

  1. ^ McGowan, P. J. K. (1994). "Family Phasianidae (Pheasants and Partridges)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 434–479. ISBN 84-87334-15-6.