Native to Ethiopia and Sudan, Africa, the Erckel’s francolin was introduced to Hawaiʻi in 1957 as a gamebird. About 16 inches long, they are brown with white streaky spots and distinct chestnut colored feathers on the top of their head with a white throat. Often in upland dry grasslands, they scare easily and hide from ...
Read More Erckel’s francolin
Archives by Month:
Native to India, the black francolin was introduced to Hawaiʻi in 1959 as a gamebird. A little over a foot long, the male stands out with black feathers with white spots and white cheeks with a chestnut collar, while the female is brown with a rusty neck. Often in dry grasslands, they scare easily and ...
Read More black francolin
A native of India, the gray francolin is about a foot long. They have distinct rows of brown feathers with a pale face and throat. While both sexes look similar, males may be slightly larger than females. They are common in dry areas and can easily be found near hotel lawns and near roads at ...
Read More gray francolin
The exotic chukar is native to Asia and eastern Europe from Israel to Nepal, but was introduced in Hawaiʻi in 1923 as a game bird. About 14 inches long, they have a gray-brown back with sides striped in black and white feathers. Their face is white with a black band across the eyes down to ...
Read More chukar
Introduced in 1818 as a gift to King Kamehameha from V. M. Golovin, the California quail has established throughout the Hawaiian Islands. It is a small (9 to11 inches) plump game bird with gray brown body feathers, white creamy chestnut scales on the belly, and males have a black face outlined with white. Females and ...
Read More California quail
The helmeted guineafowl is a native to Africa, but has been domesticated and travelled the word for their delicious meat. In Hawaiʻi, they were released, and now make a home for themselves in open urban fields near ponds and wetlands. A plump bird, they have a large body and small head, about 22 inches in ...
Read More helmeted guineafowl (domestic type)
At about 2-feet, the mallard is your “classic” duck. Adult males have shiny green heads with yellow bills and females are mottled brown with orange bills tipped in black, both with orange feet. Wild mallards are uncommon winter visitors that usually don’t show breeding feathers. Most mallards in Hawaiʻi are descendants from imported domestic stock ...
Read More mallard
The large Muscovy duck is native to the tropics of Mexico and Central and South America but in Hawaiʻi, you’ll see domestic stock living near ponds. They can reach about 30 inches long and weight a hefty 15 pounds. They are mostly black and white with a trademark red or pink wattles around their bills. ...
Read More muscovy duck