National prominence
Gray Francolin
Gray francolin occupies arid, open country: cultivated plains, dry grassland, scrub forest, and thorn scrub. In Hawaii it's established on dry, low-elevation ground on nearly every main island, most commonly in the western lowlands.
How to hunt Gray Francolin
Hawaii's most widely distributed francolin, established on all six main islands except Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe. Arid, open country: cultivated plains, dry grassland, scrub forest, and thorn scrub, plus shrubby uplands, forest edges, irrigated plantations, golf courses, roadsides, and crop fields at low elevation. Unlike Erckel's francolin, it doesn't use forest interior; it stays in dry, open ground throughout its range.
No source gives a tested numeric range for this bird. Gray francolin prefers to run rather than flush, and flies only when necessary, for short distances, to escape a predator or cross open ground. Reasoned estimate: roughly 15 to 35 yards, closer to bobwhite quail's tested 20-30 yard bracket than to a longer-range bird like chukar.
Hunted incidentally on O'ahu's public units in a mixed-bag walk alongside pheasant, the other two francolins, chukar, and barred and spotted dove. Despite being the most widely distributed of Hawaii's three francolins, documented hunting pressure is comparatively modest, historically concentrated on Lana'i, Maui, and Hawai'i Island.
What changes through the season
- Ground-holding, short-flight behavior
This bird's strong preference for running over flying, combined with short flights when it does flush, is the reason gear here stays lighter and more open-choked than its body mass or shared bag limits with heavier birds might otherwise suggest.
What to load for this hunt
Lead
- Gauge
- 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge
- Shot size
- #7.5, #6Estimate
- 20 gauge is a good match for this bird. Body mass (200-340g) sits below chukar and black francolin, in the same light-bodied tier as bobwhite quail and chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, so shot size runs light: #7.5 at the light end, #6 at the heavy end reflecting this bird's tendency to run and be harder to flush cleanly. Choke stays at Improved Cylinder to Modified rather than opening to Full, since flights are typically short once the bird does go airborne.
- Choke
- Improved Cylinder, Modified
Non-toxic
| Steel | Bismuth | Tungsten-matrix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot size | #7, #8, #6, #7Estimate #7-8 at the light end and #6-7 at the heavy end, matching the dove and bobwhite-quail conversions, extended one step further for this bird's slightly heavier build. Choke stays capped at Modified. | #6, #7, #5, #6Estimate #6-7 at the light end and #5-6 at the heavy end, using bismuth's higher density relative to steel to size down slightly. Choke capped at Modified. | #7.5, #6Estimate Same as the lead baseline, #7.5-6, Improved Cylinder to Modified; tungsten-matrix's density is close enough to lead that no adjustment is needed. |
| Choke | Improved Cylinder, Modified | Improved Cylinder, Modified | Improved Cylinder, Modified |
Where it is open, and what the survey says
- HawaiiNo season foundAwaiting survey — Hawaii 2026
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