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{{Short description|Species of the fowl}}
{{Short description|Species of guineafowl}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
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| name = Helmeted guineafowl
| name = Helmeted guineafowl
| image = Numida meleagris -Serengeti National Park, Tanzania-8 (1).jpg
| image = Numida meleagris -Serengeti National Park, Tanzania-8 (1).jpg
| image_caption = Male at [[Serengeti National Park]], Tanzania
| image_caption = Specimen in [[Serengeti National Park]], Tanzania
| image2 = Numida meleagris -Kruger National Park, South Africa-8a.jpg
| image2 = Numida meleagris -Kruger National Park, South Africa-8a.jpg
| image2_caption = Female at [[Kruger National Park|Kruger N.P.]], South Africa
| image2_caption = Specimen in the [[Kruger National Park]], South Africa
| status = LC
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22679555/0 |title=''Numida meleagris'' |author=BirdLife International |author-link=BirdLife International |year=2012 |access-date=26 November 2013}}</ref>
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Numida meleagris'' |volume=2018 |page=e.T22679555A132052202 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22679555A132052202.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Numida
| genus = Numida
| parent_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1764
| parent_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1764
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| range_map = Numida meleagris range map.png
| range_map = Numida meleagris range map.png
| range_map_caption = Natural range. Introduced to [[Western Cape]], [[Madagascar]] and elsewhere.
| range_map_caption = Natural range. Introduced to [[Western Cape]], [[Madagascar]] and elsewhere.
| synonyms = ''Phasianus meleagris'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758}}
| synonyms = *''Phasianus meleagris'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758}}
*''Crax meleagris'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758}}
}}
}}
[[File:Pintade de Numidie MHNT.jpg|thumb|Eggs of ''Numida meleagris'']]
[[File:Pintade de Numidie MHNT.jpg|thumb|Eggs of ''Numida meleagris'']]
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[[File:Numida meleagris -Cape Town, South Africa -chick-8.jpg|thumb|Keet]]
[[File:Numida meleagris -Cape Town, South Africa -chick-8.jpg|thumb|Keet]]


The '''helmeted guineafowl''' also known as '''lebanonfowl'''(''Numida meleagris'') is the best known of the [[guineafowl]] [[bird]] family, [[Numididae]], and the only member of the genus ''Numida''. It is native to [[Africa]], mainly south of the [[Sahara]], and has been widely introduced, as a [[Domestic guineafowl|domesticated species]], into the [[West Indies]], [[North America]], [[Australia]] and [[Europe]].
The '''helmeted guineafowl''' ('''''Numida meleagris''''') is the best known of the [[guineafowl]] [[bird]] family, [[Numididae]], and the only member of the genus '''''Numida'''''. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the [[Sahara]], and has been widely introduced, as a [[Domestic guineafowl|domesticated species]], into the [[West Indies]], North America, Colombia, Brazil,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tô-fraco, galinha d'angola, capota ou cocá? Ave conquistou o campo |url=https://www.comprerural.com/to-fraco-galinha-dangola-capota-ou-coca-conheca-ave-africana-que-conquistou-o-campo-brasileiro/ |website=Compre Rural |date=3 April 2022 |access-date=9 October 2022}}</ref> Australia and Europe.


==Taxonomy==
==Taxonomy==
[[File:Numida meleagris sabyi.jpg|thumb|left|The likely extinct subspecies ''N. m. sabyi'' of Morocco]]
[[File:Numida meleagris sabyi.jpg|thumb|left|The likely extinct subspecies ''N. m. sabyi'' of Morocco]]
The helmeted guineafowl was [[Species description|formally described]] by Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' under the [[binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Phasianus meleagris''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=158 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727065 }}</ref> In 1764, Linnaeus moved the helmeted guineafowl to the new genus ''Numida''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1764 | title=Museum S:ae R:ae M:tis Adolphi Friderici Regis | volume=2 | language=Latin | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | publisher=Salvius | page=27 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35369211 }}</ref> The genus name ''Numida'' is [[Latin]] for "North African".<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=276 }}</ref>
⚫
In the early days of the [[Europe]]an colonisation of [[North America]], the native [[wild turkey]] (''Meleagris gallopavo'') was confused with this species. The word ''meleagris'', [[Greek language|Greek]] for guineafowl, is also shared in the scientific names of the two species, though for the guineafowl it is the species name, whereas for the turkey, it is the name of the genus and (in inflected form) the family.

⚫
In the early days of the European colonisation of North America, the native [[wild turkey]] (''Meleagris gallopavo'') was confused with this species. The word ''meleagris'', [[Greek language|Greek]] for guineafowl, is also shared in the scientific names of the two species, though for the guineafowl it is the species name, whereas for the turkey, it is the name of the genus and (in inflected form) the family.


===Subspecies===
===Subspecies===
There are nine recognised [[subspecies]]:<ref name="hbw">{{cite web |last1=Martínez |first1=I. |last2=Kirwan |first2=G.M. |title=Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) |url=http://www.hbw.com/species/helmeted-guineafowl-numida-meleagris |website=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona|access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref>
The nine recognised [[subspecies]] are:<ref name="hbw">{{cite journal |last1=Martínez |first1=I. |last2=Kirwan |first2=G.M. |editor-first1=Josep |editor-first2=Andrew |editor-first3=Jordi |editor-first4=David |editor-first5=Eduardo |editor-last1=Del Hoyo |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-last3=Sargatal |editor-last4=Christie |editor-last5=De Juana |title=Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) |url=http://www.hbw.com/species/helmeted-guineafowl-numida-meleagris |website=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |year=2020 |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona|doi=10.2173/bow.helgui.01 |s2cid=216362040 |access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref>
* ''N. m. coronata'' <small>([[John Henry Gurney|Gurney]], 1868)</small> – Gurney's helmeted guineafowl – Type locality restricted to Uitenhage. Occurs in eastern and central [[South Africa]] and Western [[Swaziland]].<ref name="Roberts VII" />
* ''N. m. coronata'' <small>([[John Henry Gurney|Gurney]], 1868)</small> – Gurney's helmeted guineafowl – The type locality is restricted to Uitenhage; it occurs in eastern and central South Africa and western [[Eswatini]].<ref name="Roberts VII" />
* ''N. m. galeatus'' <small>([[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1767)</small> – West African guineafowl – western [[Africa]] to southern [[Chad]], central [[Zaire]], and northern [[Angola]]
* ''N. m. galeatus'' <small>([[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1767)</small> – West African guineafowl – western Africa to southern Chad, central Zaire, and northern Angola
* ''N. m. marungensis'' <small>([[Herman Schalow|Schalow]], 1884)</small> – Marungu helmeted guineafowl – south [[Congo Basin]] to western [[Angola]] and [[Zambia]]
* ''N. m. marungensis'' <small>([[Herman Schalow|Schalow]], 1884)</small> – Marungu helmeted guineafowl – south [[Congo Basin]] to western Angola and Zambia
* ''N. m. meleagris '' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])</small> – Saharan helmeted guineafowl – eastern [[Chad]] to [[Ethiopia]], northern [[Zaire]], [[Uganda]] and northern [[Kenya]]
* ''N. m. meleagris '' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])</small> – Saharan helmeted guineafowl – eastern Chad to Ethiopia, northern Zaire, Uganda and northern Kenya
* ''N. m. mitrata'' <small>(Pallas, 1764)</small> – tufted guineafowl – Terra Typica "Madagascar" (introduced or erroneous). Occurs in [[Tanzania]] to [[Zambia]], [[Botswana]], northern [[South Africa]], Eastern [[Swaziland]] and [[Mozambique]].<ref name="Roberts VII">{{cite book|last1=Gibbon|first1=Guy|title=Roberts VII Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa|publisher=John Voelker Book Fund. Southern African Birding CC 2012–2016|edition=iPhone and iPad version 2.4}}</ref>
* ''N. m. mitrata'' <small>(Pallas, 1764)</small> – tufted guineafowl – Terra Typica "Madagascar" (introduced or erroneous). Occurs in Tanzania to Zambia, Botswana, northern South Africa, eastern Eswatini and Mozambique.<ref name="Roberts VII">{{cite book|last1=Gibbon|first1=Guy|title=Roberts VII Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa|publisher=John Voelker Book Fund. Southern African Birding CC 2012–2016|edition=iPhone and iPad version 2.4}}</ref>
* ''N. m. damarensis'' <small>([[Austin Roberts (zoologist)|Roberts]], 1917)</small> – Damara helmeted guineafowl – Terra Typica: Windhoek. Occurs from arid southern [[Angola]] to northern [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]] north of 26°S<ref name="Roberts VII" />
* ''N. m. damarensis'' <small>([[Austin Roberts (zoologist)|Roberts]], 1917)</small> – Damara helmeted guineafowl – Terra Typica: Windhoek. Occurs from arid southern Angola to northern Namibia and Botswana north of 26°S<ref name="Roberts VII" />
* ''N. m. reichenowi'' <small>([[William Robert Ogilvie-Grant|Ogilvie-Grant]], 1894)</small> – Reichenow's helmeted guineafowl – [[Kenya]] and central [[Tanzania]]
* ''N. m. reichenowi'' <small>([[William Robert Ogilvie-Grant|Ogilvie-Grant]], 1894)</small> – Reichenow's helmeted guineafowl – Kenya and central Tanzania
* ''N. m. sabyi'' <small>([[Ernst Hartert|Hartert]], 1919)</small> – Saby's helmeted guineafowl – northwestern [[Morocco]]
* ''N. m. sabyi'' <small>([[Ernst Hartert|Hartert]], 1919)</small> – Saby's helmeted guineafowl – northwestern Morocco
* ''N. m. somaliensis'' <small>([[Oscar Rudolph Neumann|Neumann]], 1899)</small> – Somali tufted guineafowl – northeastern [[Ethiopia]] and [[Somalia]]
* ''N. m. somaliensis'' <small>([[Oscar Rudolph Neumann|Neumann]], 1899)</small> – Somali tufted guineafowl – northeastern Ethiopia and Somalia


==Description==
==Description==
[[File:Helmeted Guineafowls (Numida meleagris) (18199736631).jpg|thumb|left|A covey of the nominate race in Uganda]]
[[File:Helmeted Guineafowls (Numida meleagris) (18199736631).jpg|thumb|left|A covey of the nominate race in Uganda]]
The helmeted guineafowl is a large {{convert|53|to|58|cm}} bird with a round body and small head. They weigh about {{convert|1.3|kg}}. The body [[feather|plumage]] is gray-black spangled with white. Like other guineafowl, this species has an unfeathered head. In this species it is decorated with a dull yellow or reddish bony knob, and bare skin with red, blue or black hues. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is likewise short. Various sub-species are proposed, differences in appearance being mostly a large variation in shape, size and colour of the casque and facial wattles.
The helmeted guineafowl is a large, {{convert|53|to|58|cm|abbr=on}} bird with a round body and small head. They weigh about {{convert|1.3|kg|abbr=on}}. The body [[feather|plumage]] is gray-black speckled with white. Like other guineafowl, this species has an unfeathered head, which in this species is decorated with a dull yellow or reddish bony knob, and bare skin with red, blue, or black hues. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is likewise short. Various subspecies are proposed, differences in appearance being mostly a large variation in shape, size, and colour of the casque and facial wattles.


==Behaviour and ecology==
==Behaviour and ecology==
This is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds that also roost communally. Guineafowl are particularly well-suited to consuming massive quantities of [[ticks]], which might otherwise spread [[lyme disease]].<ref name=Duffy>{{cite journal |last=Duffy |first=David Cameron |author2=Downer, Randall |author3=Brinkley, Christie |date=June 1992 |title=The effectiveness of Helmeted Guineafowl in the control of the deer tick, the vector of Lyme disease |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=342–345 |url=http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/tickstudy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007021053/http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/tickstudy.pdf |archive-date=2009-10-07 }}</ref> These birds are terrestrial, and prone to run rather than fly when alarmed. Like most gallinaceous birds, they have a short-lived explosive flight and rely on gliding to cover extended distances. Helmeted guineafowl can walk 10&nbsp;km and more in a day. Their bodies are well-suited for running and they are remarkably successful in maintaining dynamic stability over rough terrain at speed.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Daley, M. A. |author2=Usherwood, J. R. |author3=Felix, G. |author4=Biewener, A. A. |title=Running over rough terrain: guinea fowl maintain dynamic stability despite a large unexpected change in substrate height. |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |year=2006 |volume=209 |issue=Pt 1 |pages=171–87 |doi=10.1242/jeb.01986 |pmid=16354788 |s2cid=8640533 |url=https://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/209/1/171.full.pdf}}</ref> They make loud harsh calls when disturbed.
This is a [[gregarious]] species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds that also roost communally. Guineafowl are particularly well-suited to consuming massive quantities of [[ticks]], which might otherwise spread [[Lyme disease]].<ref name=Duffy>{{cite journal |last=Duffy |first=David Cameron |author2=Downer, Randall |author3=Brinkley, Christie |date=June 1992 |title=The effectiveness of Helmeted Guineafowl in the control of the deer tick, the vector of Lyme disease |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=342–345 |url=http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/tickstudy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007021053/http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/tickstudy.pdf |archive-date=2009-10-07 }}</ref> These birds are terrestrial, and prone to run rather than fly when alarmed. Like most [[gallinaceous]] birds, they have a short-lived, explosive flight and rely on gliding to cover extended distances. Helmeted guineafowl can walk 10&nbsp;km and more in a day. Their bodies are well-suited for running and they are remarkably successful in maintaining dynamic stability over rough terrain at speed.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Daley, M. A. |author2=Usherwood, J. R. |author3=Felix, G. |author4=Biewener, A. A. |title=Running over rough terrain: guinea fowl maintain dynamic stability despite a large unexpected change in substrate height. |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |year=2006 |volume=209 |issue=Pt 1 |pages=171–87 |doi=10.1242/jeb.01986 |pmid=16354788 |s2cid=8640533 |url=https://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/209/1/171.full.pdf|doi-access=free }}</ref> They make loud harsh calls when disturbed.


Their diet consists of a variety of animal and plant food. During the non-breeding season, ''N. meleagris'' consume corns, tubers, and seeds, particularly of agricultural weeds, as well as various agricultural crop spillage.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Skeod, C.J. |title=A Study of the Crowned Guinea Fowl Numida Meleagris Coronata Gurney |journal=Ostrich |year=1962 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=51–65 |doi=10.1080/00306525.1962.9633435}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mentis, M. T. |author2=Poggenpool, B. |author3=& Maguire, R. R. K. |title=Food of the helmeted guineafowl in highland Natal |journal=South African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=23–25}}</ref> During the breeding season, more than 80% of their diet may be invertebrates, particularly arthropods like beetles.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Little, R.M. |author2=Perrings, J.S.A. |author3=Crowe, T.M. |title=Notes on the diet of helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris on deciduous fruit farms in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |journal=South African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=144–146 |hdl=10520/EJC116978 }}</ref> Guineafowl are equipped with strong claws and scratch in loose soil for food much like domestic chickens, although they seldom uproot growing plants in so doing. As with all of the Numididae, they have no spurs. They may live for up to 12 years in the wild.
Their diet consists of a variety of animal and plant foods. During the nonbreeding season, ''N. meleagris'' consumes corns, tubers, and seeds, particularly of agricultural weeds, as well as various agricultural crop spillage.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Skeod, C.J. |title=A Study of the Crowned Guinea Fowl Numida Meleagris Coronata Gurney |journal=Ostrich |year=1962 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=51–65 |doi=10.1080/00306525.1962.9633435|bibcode=1962Ostri..33...51S }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mentis, M. T. |author2=Poggenpool, B. |author3=& Maguire, R. R. K. |title=Food of the helmeted guineafowl in highland Natal |journal=South African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=23–25}}</ref> During the breeding season, more than 80% of their diet may be invertebrates, particularly arthropods such as beetles.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Little, R.M. |author2=Perrings, J.S.A. |author3=Crowe, T.M. |title=Notes on the diet of helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris on deciduous fruit farms in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |journal=South African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=144–146 |hdl=10520/EJC116978 }}</ref> Guineafowl are equipped with strong claws and scratch in loose soil for food much like domestic chickens, although they seldom uproot growing plants in so doing. As with all of the Numididae, they have no spurs. They may live for up to 12 years in the wild.


Males often show aggression towards each other, and will partake in aggressive fighting which may leave other males bloodied and otherwise injured. They will attempt to make themselves look more fearsome by raising their wings upwards from their sides and bristling their feathers across the length of the body, and they may also rush towards their opponent with a gaping beak. The nest is a well-hidden, generally unlined scrape and a clutch is normally some 6 to 12 eggs which the female incubates for 26 to 28 days. Nests containing larger numbers of eggs are generally believed to be the result of more than one hen using the nest; eggs are large and an incubating bird could not realistically cover significantly more than a normal clutch.
Males often show aggression towards each other, and partake in aggressive fighting, which may leave other males bloodied and otherwise injured. They attempt to make themselves look more fearsome by raising their wings upwards from their sides and bristling their feathers across the length of their bodies, and they may also rush towards their opponent with a gaping beak. The nest is a well-hidden, generally unlined scrape, and a clutch is normally some 6 to 12 eggs, which the female incubates for 26 to 28 days. Nests containing larger numbers of eggs are generally believed to be the result of more than one hen using the nest; eggs are large, and an incubating bird could not realistically cover significantly more than a normal clutch.


Domestic birds at least, are notable for producing very thick-shelled eggs that are reduced to fragments as the young birds (known as keets among bird breeders) hatch, rather than leaving two large sections and small chips where the keet has removed the end of the egg. It has been noted that [[domesticated]] guineafowl hens are not the best of mothers, and will often abandon their nests. The keets are cryptically coloured and rapid wing growth enables them to flutter onto low branches barely a week after hatching.
Domesticated birds, at least, are notable for producing very thick-shelled eggs that are reduced to fragments as the young birds (known as keets among bird breeders) hatch, rather than leaving two large sections and small chips where the keet has removed the end of the egg. [[Domesticated]] guinea hens are not the best of mothers, and often abandon their nests. The keets are cryptically coloured, and rapid wing growth enables them to flutter onto low branches barely a week after hatching.


==Reproduction==
==Reproduction==
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[[File:Gallina de Guinea (Numida meleagris), parque nacional Kruger, Sudáfrica, 2018-07-25, DD 48.jpg|thumb|Head of an adult in South Africa.]]
[[File:Gallina de Guinea (Numida meleagris), parque nacional Kruger, Sudáfrica, 2018-07-25, DD 48.jpg|thumb|Head of an adult in South Africa.]]
They breed in warm, fairly dry and open habitats with scattered [[shrub]]s and [[tree]]s such as [[savanna]] or farmland.
They breed in warm, fairly dry and open habitats with scattered [[shrub]]s and [[tree]]s such as [[savanna]] or farmland.

==Suburban flocks==
Flocks of guineafowl have flourished in recent years in the northern and southern suburbs of [[Cape Town]], where they have adapted remarkably well. Flocks wander slowly along the quieter suburban roads while foraging on the grassy 'pavements' and in gardens where the fence is low enough for some to enter without feeling separated from their flock. At night they often roost on the roofs of bungalows. While residents generally appreciate the local wildlife, they can be a nuisance, obstructing traffic and making a lot of noise in the early morning during the mating season. Their success may be attributed to their large but cautious flocks – they can fend off cats, but don't enter gardens with dogs, and are visible enough in the quiet roads which they frequent to avoid being run over. Although many young guineafowl fall down drains (and are left behind by the flock), such casualties are not enough to restrain their numbers. Adult birds are sometimes caught and eaten by homeless people.


==Domestication==
==Domestication==
[[File:Hens Niger parkw 2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Race ''N. m. galeatus'', here seen wild in [[Niger]], is popularly kept as [[Free range|free-ranging]] [[poultry]].]]
[[File:Hens Niger parkw 2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Race ''N. m. galeatus'', here seen wild in [[Niger]], is popularly kept as [[Free range|free-ranging]] [[poultry]].]]
{{Main article|Domestic guineafowl}}
{{Main article|Domestic guineafowl}}
Helmeted guineafowl are often domesticated, and it is this [[species]] that is sold in Western supermarkets.
Helmeted guineafowl are often domesticated, and it is this [[species]] that is sold in Western supermarkets. Feral populations descended from domestic flocks are now widely distributed and occur in the [[West Indies]], North America, Australia and Europe.<ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021"/>


==References==
==References==
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*[http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/poultry/other/guineafowl/index.html Poultry Breeds – Guinea Fowl] Oklahoma State University
*[http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/poultry/other/guineafowl/index.html Poultry Breeds – Guinea Fowl] Oklahoma State University


{{Pangalliformes|Ph.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q251842}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q251842}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:guineafowl, helmeted}}
[[Category:Numididae|helmeted guineafowl]]
[[Category:Numididae|helmeted guineafowl]]
[[Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa]]
[[Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa]]

Latest revision as of 01:15, 6 August 2024

Helmeted guineafowl
Specimen in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Specimen in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Numididae
Genus: Numida
Linnaeus, 1764
Species:
N. meleagris
Binomial name
Numida meleagris
Natural range. Introduced to Western Cape, Madagascar and elsewhere.
Synonyms
  • Phasianus meleagris Linnaeus, 1758
  • Crax meleagris Linnaeus, 1758
Eggs of Numida meleagris
Calls of domesticated hens
Keet

The helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced, as a domesticated species, into the West Indies, North America, Colombia, Brazil,[2] Australia and Europe.

Taxonomy

[edit]
The likely extinct subspecies N. m. sabyi of Morocco

The helmeted guineafowl was formally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Phasianus meleagris.[3] In 1764, Linnaeus moved the helmeted guineafowl to the new genus Numida.[4] The genus name Numida is Latin for "North African".[5]

In the early days of the European colonisation of North America, the native wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was confused with this species. The word meleagris, Greek for guineafowl, is also shared in the scientific names of the two species, though for the guineafowl it is the species name, whereas for the turkey, it is the name of the genus and (in inflected form) the family.

Subspecies

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The nine recognised subspecies are:[6]

  • N. m. coronata (Gurney, 1868) – Gurney's helmeted guineafowl – The type locality is restricted to Uitenhage; it occurs in eastern and central South Africa and western Eswatini.[7]
  • N. m. galeatus (Pallas, 1767) – West African guineafowl – western Africa to southern Chad, central Zaire, and northern Angola
  • N. m. marungensis (Schalow, 1884) – Marungu helmeted guineafowl – south Congo Basin to western Angola and Zambia
  • N. m. meleagris (Linnaeus, 1758) – Saharan helmeted guineafowl – eastern Chad to Ethiopia, northern Zaire, Uganda and northern Kenya
  • N. m. mitrata (Pallas, 1764) – tufted guineafowl – Terra Typica "Madagascar" (introduced or erroneous). Occurs in Tanzania to Zambia, Botswana, northern South Africa, eastern Eswatini and Mozambique.[7]
  • N. m. damarensis (Roberts, 1917) – Damara helmeted guineafowl – Terra Typica: Windhoek. Occurs from arid southern Angola to northern Namibia and Botswana north of 26°S[7]
  • N. m. reichenowi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1894) – Reichenow's helmeted guineafowl – Kenya and central Tanzania
  • N. m. sabyi (Hartert, 1919) – Saby's helmeted guineafowl – northwestern Morocco
  • N. m. somaliensis (Neumann, 1899) – Somali tufted guineafowl – northeastern Ethiopia and Somalia

Description

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A covey of the nominate race in Uganda

The helmeted guineafowl is a large, 53 to 58 cm (21 to 23 in) bird with a round body and small head. They weigh about 1.3 kg (2.9 lb). The body plumage is gray-black speckled with white. Like other guineafowl, this species has an unfeathered head, which in this species is decorated with a dull yellow or reddish bony knob, and bare skin with red, blue, or black hues. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is likewise short. Various subspecies are proposed, differences in appearance being mostly a large variation in shape, size, and colour of the casque and facial wattles.

Behaviour and ecology

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This is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds that also roost communally. Guineafowl are particularly well-suited to consuming massive quantities of ticks, which might otherwise spread Lyme disease.[8] These birds are terrestrial, and prone to run rather than fly when alarmed. Like most gallinaceous birds, they have a short-lived, explosive flight and rely on gliding to cover extended distances. Helmeted guineafowl can walk 10 km and more in a day. Their bodies are well-suited for running and they are remarkably successful in maintaining dynamic stability over rough terrain at speed.[9] They make loud harsh calls when disturbed.

Their diet consists of a variety of animal and plant foods. During the nonbreeding season, N. meleagris consumes corns, tubers, and seeds, particularly of agricultural weeds, as well as various agricultural crop spillage.[10][11] During the breeding season, more than 80% of their diet may be invertebrates, particularly arthropods such as beetles.[12] Guineafowl are equipped with strong claws and scratch in loose soil for food much like domestic chickens, although they seldom uproot growing plants in so doing. As with all of the Numididae, they have no spurs. They may live for up to 12 years in the wild.

Males often show aggression towards each other, and partake in aggressive fighting, which may leave other males bloodied and otherwise injured. They attempt to make themselves look more fearsome by raising their wings upwards from their sides and bristling their feathers across the length of their bodies, and they may also rush towards their opponent with a gaping beak. The nest is a well-hidden, generally unlined scrape, and a clutch is normally some 6 to 12 eggs, which the female incubates for 26 to 28 days. Nests containing larger numbers of eggs are generally believed to be the result of more than one hen using the nest; eggs are large, and an incubating bird could not realistically cover significantly more than a normal clutch.

Domesticated birds, at least, are notable for producing very thick-shelled eggs that are reduced to fragments as the young birds (known as keets among bird breeders) hatch, rather than leaving two large sections and small chips where the keet has removed the end of the egg. Domesticated guinea hens are not the best of mothers, and often abandon their nests. The keets are cryptically coloured, and rapid wing growth enables them to flutter onto low branches barely a week after hatching.

Reproduction

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Helmeted guinea fowl are seasonal breeders. Summer is the peak breeding season in which the testes could weigh up to 1.6 gm, while during winter no breeding activity takes place. The serum testosterone level is up to 5.37 ng/ ml during the breeding season.[13]

Habitat

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Head of an adult in South Africa.

They breed in warm, fairly dry and open habitats with scattered shrubs and trees such as savanna or farmland.

Domestication

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Race N. m. galeatus, here seen wild in Niger, is popularly kept as free-ranging poultry.
Main article: Domestic guineafowl

Helmeted guineafowl are often domesticated, and it is this species that is sold in Western supermarkets. Feral populations descended from domestic flocks are now widely distributed and occur in the West Indies, North America, Australia and Europe.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Numida meleagris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22679555A132052202. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22679555A132052202.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Tô-fraco, galinha d'angola, capota ou cocá? Ave conquistou o campo". Compre Rural. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 158.
  4. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1764). Museum S:ae R:ae M:tis Adolphi Friderici Regis (in Latin). Vol. 2. Holmiae (Stockholm): Salvius. p. 27.
  5. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 276. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. ^ Martínez, I.; Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. doi:10.2173/bow.helgui.01. S2CID 216362040. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Gibbon, Guy. Roberts VII Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa (iPhone and iPad version 2.4 ed.). John Voelker Book Fund. Southern African Birding CC 2012–2016.
  8. ^ Duffy, David Cameron; Downer, Randall; Brinkley, Christie (June 1992). "The effectiveness of Helmeted Guineafowl in the control of the deer tick, the vector of Lyme disease" (PDF). The Wilson Bulletin. 104 (2): 342–345. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-07.
  9. ^ Daley, M. A.; Usherwood, J. R.; Felix, G.; Biewener, A. A. (2006). "Running over rough terrain: guinea fowl maintain dynamic stability despite a large unexpected change in substrate height" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Biology. 209 (Pt 1): 171–87. doi:10.1242/jeb.01986. PMID 16354788. S2CID 8640533.
  10. ^ Skeod, C.J. (1962). "A Study of the Crowned Guinea Fowl Numida Meleagris Coronata Gurney". Ostrich. 33 (2): 51–65. Bibcode:1962Ostri..33...51S. doi:10.1080/00306525.1962.9633435.
  11. ^ Mentis, M. T.; Poggenpool, B.; & Maguire, R. R. K. "Food of the helmeted guineafowl in highland Natal". South African Journal of Wildlife Research. 5 (1): 23–25.
  12. ^ Little, R.M.; Perrings, J.S.A.; Crowe, T.M. "Notes on the diet of helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris on deciduous fruit farms in the Western Cape Province, South Africa". South African Journal of Wildlife Research. 25 (4): 144–146. hdl:10520/EJC116978.
  13. ^ Ali MZ, AS Qureshi, S Rehan, SZ Akbar and A Manzoor (2015). "Seasonal variations in histomorphology of testes and bursa, immune parameters and serum testosterone concentration in male guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)" (PDF). Pakistan Veterinary Journal. 35 (1): 88–92.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Numida meleagris.
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