Helmeted guinea fowl
- Class: Birds (Aves)
- Order: Chicken-like birds (Galliformes)
- Family: Pheasants (Phasianidae)
- Genus: Numida
- Species: Numida meleagris
Size
The helmeted guinea fowl weighs approximately 1.2 kg.
Ecology
The helmeted guinea fowl lives in Africa, south of the Equator. It is the most social of the guinea fowls, occasionally found in flocks of more than 2 000 birds. It breeds in warm, considerably dry and open habitats containing scattered bush and trees, like that of the savanna or farmlands. The helmeted guinea fowl predominantly keeps to the ground, but like domestic poultry it spends the night perched in a tree. If startled it runs away rather than taking to flight.
Food habits
Seeds, bulbs and leaves, but also insects, molluscs and small frogs.
Longevity
Helmeted guinea fowls live for 10 to 15 years.
Reproduction
Immediately before the breeding season the flocks disperse. Males pursue each other in mock-displays of prowess to impress the females. Following mating, the hen lays her clutch of 10 to 20 eggs in a well-hidden lined scrape.
Conservation status
The helmeted guinea fowl is not endangered. Guinea fowls are often domesticated, with large numbers of the bird being commercially bred in France, Italy and Belgium.
