It is common to hear the Swainson's spurfowl calling when you get up early in the bush. At dawn and at dusk, males set up on a roost, the top of a termite mound or a branch, to make their typical calls. Male and female spend the night perched. During the day, they are mostly on the ground. They only take off reluctantly and prefer to run to cover, in tall grass or thick bush, if threatened.