Breeding requirements of Nahan’s Francolin, Francolinus nahan, in Budongo forest reserve, Uganda

Abstract

The Nahan’s Francolin Francolinus nahani is a globally threatened species associated with remnant forests of the eastern equatorial lowlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. We studied the species in the Budongo Forest Reserve during March 1998 to January 2000 in an attempt to document some aspects of breeding requirements. We located nests by physically searching the forest and through following radio-tagged adults. We measured demographical and habitat parameters associated with each nest. Our data suggest that trees of large diameter at breast height with appropriate buttress formation are important for long-time survival of Nahan’s Francolins.