Several other subspecies have been described, but validity doubtful: uluensis, canidorsalis and sequestris all normally included within nominate shelleyi. Dubious subspecies uluensis has alternatively been considered a subspecies of Grey-winged Francolin (Scleroptila afra). Subspecies elgonensis of Moorland Francolin (Scleroptila psilolaema) has been considered to belong to present species.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
shelleyi Ogilvie-Grant, 1891 - Southern Uganda and south-western Kenya south through Tanzania, southern Zambia, southern Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to north-eastern South Africa and Swaziland.
whytei (Neumann, 1908) - South-eastern Zaire, northern Zambia and northern Malawi. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Whyte's Francolin (Scleroptila whytei).
uluensis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1892) - Central and southern Kenya, northern Tanzania.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet