African Hunting Gazette – July 2019

http://www.africanhuntinggazette.com 97

Wingshooting Africa:By Ken Bailey

S

afari Club International (SCI),
recognizing this trend, created a new
awardsprogramjusta shorttimeago,
dedicatedsolelytowingshooting.TheGame
BirdsoftheWorld Platformwasdeveloped
to bring increased attention to the array
of bird-hunting opportunities around the
world. Seven distinct classifications were
established specifically in recognition of
Africanwingshooting:
Quail
Four species of quail were identified,
includingthecommonquail.Ithasa wide
range, stretching from West Africa to the
Red Sea down to South Africa, wherever
suitable grassland habitat is found. The
bluequailis a nomadic,uncommonspecies
foundacrosssub-SaharanAfrica,thoughit’s
raresouthofZambiaandMozambique.The
Harlequinquailis verysimilarinappearance
to the common quail, and their range
largely overlaps, although the Harlequin
doesn’t extendas farnorth orwest across
the continent. SCI lumps all buttonquail
together, althoughthere are actually three
distinct species.To qualifyforthe African
QuailAward, a huntermustshoot two of
thefourrecognizedspecies.

Partridge,FrancolinandSpurfowl
SCIidentifieseightspeciesintheirprogram,
including Coqui, greywing, Orange River
andcrestedpartridge,red-wingandShelley’s
francolin,andthered-billedandred-necked
spurfowl.Thesebirdsareallsomewhatsimilar
inappearance,resemblingtheHungarian,or
grey, partridge familiar to North American

and European hunters.These eightspecies

represent onlyabout 20% ofthe partridge

andfrancolinfoundacrossAfrica,butarethe

mostcommoninthosecountriesandregions

where the vast majority of recreational

huntingoccurs.A hunteris requiredtotake

at leastsixofthesespecies to qualify for SCI’s

awardsprogram.

Guineafowl

Few African birds are as recognizable or

iconicas theguineafowl.A somewhatunusual

appearance belies a crafty mind, however, and

thesebirdsthatwouldratherrunthanfly

are notoriouslychallengingto hunt.The

threespecies identifiedin SCI’sprogram

includethehelmetedguineafowlcommon

throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa,

the crested species found in scattered

regionsinwest,eastandsouthernAfrica,

andthedistinctivevulturineguineafowlof

eastAfrica.Qualifyinghunters must shoot

twoofthesespecies.

DovesandPigeons

They don’t quite compete with Argentinian

Hunting francolin over experienced dogs makes for exciting wingshooting action.

Thediversityof speciesavailablemakes Africa a more interesting dove and pigeon

destination than South America.