Helmeted Guineafowl [Numida Meleagris]
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You can learn more about Helmeted Guineafowl - https://avibirds.com/helmeted-guineaf...
In this video, we take a look at the helmeted guineafowl.
QUICK FACTS:
- Lifespan: 12 years
- Subspecies: 9
- Family: Numididae.
- Length: 56 cm (22 in)
- Weight: 1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Description: A large fowl with a rotund body, small wings, a short tail, and a small head. Its body plumage is black with white speckles. It has a characteristic helmeted appearance.
The bare-skinned face and neck region is typically blue or white with red areas and wattles, and a yellowish-orange featherless crest. It has strong legs and powerful claws. Males have longer wattles than females and a larger helmeted area.
Vocalisations: Helmeted guineafowls have a high pitched whistle-like contact call. They also make abrupt krak krak krak sounds in short bursts. When alarmed, they produce a loud cackle-like krak krak krak krak kraaaaaa.
They have several other calls like the aggressive male courtship call and the subtle chirps of the nesting female.
Distribution: Helmeted guineafowls are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They have been introduced into other parts of the world including Europe, Australia, Brazil, and the West Indies.
Habitat: Helmeted guineafowls favour open habitats such as savannah, grasslands, and farmlands. These birds are often domesticated and bred as poultry.
In recent years they have become prevalent in some suburban areas, as observed in the city of Cape Town in South Africa.
Behaviour: They are a terrestrial, gregarious species and occur in flocks of 15 to 40 birds during the non-breeding season (usually winter). Helmeted guineafowls do not migrate.
They are not good fliers but are well adapted to navigating terrain on foot and are often seen running to escape potential danger.
Did you know? Helmeted guineafowls can walk over ten kilometres in a day.
Diet: They have a varied diet which includes seeds, tubers, corn, and other crops. They also feed on insects and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season.
Reproduction: Helmeted guineafowls usually breed in summer. Males are highly aggressive toward each other and engage in bloody scuffles. During courtship, males and females engage in synchronised duets.
They nest in well-concealed scrapes in the ground and may line it with twigs and softer materials. The hen lays six to twelve eggs which she incubates for roughly a month. Hens often dump their eggs in other nests. The keets are brown with darker brown markings.
Fun Fact: Guineafowl chicks are called keets.
Predators: They may be preyed on by a number of small mammals and large reptiles. In some parts, especially near suburban areas, free-ranging helmeted guineafowls are often caught and eaten by homeless people. They are also prone to road accidents.
Domestic guineafowls are bred for their meat and eggs.
Conservation: Helmeted guineafowls are an abundant, adaptable species listed as Least Concern by IUCN. They play an important role in controlling ticks, many of which spread diseases.
You can read more about Helmeted Guineafowl here - https://avibirds.com/helmeted-guineaf...
#avibirds #bird #birdwatching #helmetedguineafowl #numidameleagris
In this video, we take a look at the helmeted guineafowl.
QUICK FACTS:
- Lifespan: 12 years
- Subspecies: 9
- Family: Numididae.
- Length: 56 cm (22 in)
- Weight: 1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Description: A large fowl with a rotund body, small wings, a short tail, and a small head. Its body plumage is black with white speckles. It has a characteristic helmeted appearance.
The bare-skinned face and neck region is typically blue or white with red areas and wattles, and a yellowish-orange featherless crest. It has strong legs and powerful claws. Males have longer wattles than females and a larger helmeted area.
Vocalisations: Helmeted guineafowls have a high pitched whistle-like contact call. They also make abrupt krak krak krak sounds in short bursts. When alarmed, they produce a loud cackle-like krak krak krak krak kraaaaaa.
They have several other calls like the aggressive male courtship call and the subtle chirps of the nesting female.
Distribution: Helmeted guineafowls are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They have been introduced into other parts of the world including Europe, Australia, Brazil, and the West Indies.
Habitat: Helmeted guineafowls favour open habitats such as savannah, grasslands, and farmlands. These birds are often domesticated and bred as poultry.
In recent years they have become prevalent in some suburban areas, as observed in the city of Cape Town in South Africa.
Behaviour: They are a terrestrial, gregarious species and occur in flocks of 15 to 40 birds during the non-breeding season (usually winter). Helmeted guineafowls do not migrate.
They are not good fliers but are well adapted to navigating terrain on foot and are often seen running to escape potential danger.
Did you know? Helmeted guineafowls can walk over ten kilometres in a day.
Diet: They have a varied diet which includes seeds, tubers, corn, and other crops. They also feed on insects and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season.
Reproduction: Helmeted guineafowls usually breed in summer. Males are highly aggressive toward each other and engage in bloody scuffles. During courtship, males and females engage in synchronised duets.
They nest in well-concealed scrapes in the ground and may line it with twigs and softer materials. The hen lays six to twelve eggs which she incubates for roughly a month. Hens often dump their eggs in other nests. The keets are brown with darker brown markings.
Fun Fact: Guineafowl chicks are called keets.
Predators: They may be preyed on by a number of small mammals and large reptiles. In some parts, especially near suburban areas, free-ranging helmeted guineafowls are often caught and eaten by homeless people. They are also prone to road accidents.
Domestic guineafowls are bred for their meat and eggs.
Conservation: Helmeted guineafowls are an abundant, adaptable species listed as Least Concern by IUCN. They play an important role in controlling ticks, many of which spread diseases.
You can read more about Helmeted Guineafowl here - https://avibirds.com/helmeted-guineaf...
#avibirds #bird #birdwatching #helmetedguineafowl #numidameleagris
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