The Phasianinae (Horsfield, 1821) are a subfamily under the family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. This subfamily notably includes the true pheasants, tragopans, tetraonids, Coturnicini, Pavonini, amongst other members.
Although this placement was once considered monophyletic and separate from the partridges, francolins and Old World quail (now-defunct Perdicinae) until the early 1990s, molecular phylogenies have shown that this subfamily is paraphyletic. For instance, certain genera like Lophophorus and Meleagris, as well as members of the genus Perdix, are cladistically more closely related to grouse and true pheasants, whereas other genera like Tetraogallus, Coturnix, and members in the genus Alectoris, share a much closer kinship to peafowl and junglefowl. There are two clades in this subfamily: the erectile clade and the non-erectile clade, referring to erectile tissue in the bare, non-feathered parts of the face. Both clades are believed to have diverged during the early Oligocene, about 30 million years ago.
The Phasianinae are characterized by strong sexual dimorphism, with males being highly ornate not limited to distinct coloration and patterning, as well as adornments such as combs, wattles, air sacs, tufts, crests, and long modified uppertail coverts (trains) and rectrices. Males are typically larger and heavier than females. Males play little to no part in rearing their offspring except a few species like the willow ptarmigan.
Their diet generally consists of seeds, grains, greens, and some invertebrates, with several being seasonally-specialized herbivores like grouse.
Genera in taxonomic order This list is ordered to show presumed relationships between species. Tribes and subfamily names are based on the 4th edition of the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Genera without a tribe are considered to belong to tribe incertae sedis.
"Erectile clade" Image Tribe Generaincertae sedis Lerwa (snow partridge)incertae sedis Ithaginis (blood pheasant)Lophophorini Lophophorus (monals) Tetraophasis (monal-partridges) Tragopan (tragopans)incertae sedis Pucrasia (koklass pheasant)Tetraonini Bonasa (ruffed grouse) Canachites (spruce grouse) Centrocercus (sage-grouse) Dendragapus (blue grouse) Falcipennis (Siberian grouse) Lagopus (ptarmigans) Lyrurus (black grouse) Meleagris (turkeys) Tetrao (capercaillies) Tetrastes (hazel grouse) Tympanuchus (prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse)incertae sedis Rhizothera (long-billed partridges)incertae sedis Perdix (true partridges)Phasianini Catreus (cheer pheasant) Chrysolophus (ruffed pheasants) Crossoptilon (eared pheasants) Lophura (gallopheasants) Phasianus (true pheasants) Syrmaticus (long-tailed pheasants)
"Non-erectile clade" ImageTribeGeneraPavonini Afropavo (African peafowl) Argusianus (great argus) Pavo (Asiatic peafowl) Rheinardia (crested arguses)incertae sedis Polyplectron (peacock-pheasants)incertae sedisHaematortyx (crimson-headed partridge)incertae sedisTropicoperdixincertae sedisGalloperdix (Asian spurfowl)Gallini Bambusicola (bamboo partridges) Campocolinus Francolinus Gallus (junglefowl, including the domestic chicken) Ortygornis Peliperdix (Latham's francolin) ScleroptilaCoturnicini Alectoris (rock partridges) Ammoperdix (see-see and sand partridges) Coturnix (typical Old World quails) Margaroperdix (Madagascar partridge) Ophrysia (Himalayan quail) Perdicula (bush-quails) Pternistis (partridge-francolins; African spurfowls) Synoicus Tetraogallus (snowcocks)
References