Numida meleagris
The Helmeted Guineafowl is one of South Africa’s best known and most abundant gamebirds, occurring in a wide range of naturally open habitats, from forest edges to semi-deserts, as well as being regularly seen in farming areas. They can weigh as much as 1.8kg.
Guineafowl feather
Helmeted Guineafowl are gregarious, feeding and roosting in groups normally numbering around 25, but can congregate in flocks of hundreds. Like other guineafowl they are mostly terrestrial, and will only take flight when in extreme danger or to reach their roosts. Omnivorous in their diet, Helmeted Guineafowl will feed on seeds, fruits, invertebrates of all descriptions and even small amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Nests are little more than scrapes in a well-hidden place, in which the hen incubates a clutch of 6 – 12 eggs for 28 days during the summer months. Helmeted Guineafowl can live up to 12 years in the wild.
The IUCN considers the Helmeted Guineafowl “Least Concern” thanks to its extremely wide natural distribution range (almost all of Africa south of the Sahara, except the forests of the Congo and the Somali desert) and large and apparently stable population. In South Africa they are a common sight almost everywhere, even occurring in the leafy suburbs and parks of the big cities, and is one of the few species that have actually expanded their distribution range in recent years, despite fairly substantial hunting pressure. The species has also been domesticated and widely introduced to other continents. These domesticated strains often sport quite different plumage.
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Interesting how Nature chose to bless this bird with such a colourful head but a plain body. What was she thinking that day?!
Unfortunately the poor helmeted guineafowl isn’t going to win any beauty contests 🙂
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Agreed Joanne, the guineafowl’s talents certainly doesn’t lie in modelling…
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hahahahahaha!!!
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Ai daar was baie op die Landgoed toe ons ingetrek het… sug… nou het hulle getrek
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Met tyd sal hulle dalk terugkeer, dalk na die bouery uiteindelik klaar is. Ek meen, as hulle hier in Garsfontein tussen die huise n bestaan kan maak, sal hulle daar by julle dit ook kan doen!
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Ek hoop weer dat hulle na die plase kan aanbeweeg.
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Ja, ek dink baie keer daaraan dat ons soms vergeet om die tarentale af te neem, neem hulle so as vanselfsprekend aan, terwyl hul die mooiste dot-patroon-rokkies dra!
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En hulle is glad nie maklik om af te neem nie! Daardie kolletjies patroon befonkfaai die kamera se fokus heeltemal.
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Dis nou ‘n aanpasbare voël.Een van my medebloggers het juis die naweek geskryf van die tarentaalnes met dertig eiers in sy tuin!Pragtige inskrywing,Dries.
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Sjoe, 30 eiers! Ek wonder of almal een hen s’n is, en of hulle almal sal uitbroei!?
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Dis Abrie se blog…ek weet nie of jy hom volg nie.Hy het gesê hy sal ons op hoogte hou.Hy het twee katte en dit laat hom wonder hoe om die probleem op te los.
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Very unique and beautiful patterns. Great photos!
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Thanks very much, and welcome here!
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They are a pretty bird, aren’t they? I love the photo of the guineafowl by the car. Almost looks he is talking to the driver!
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They almost look like wild Turkey’s!! Pretty neat colours on the males face! 🙂 T.
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Much smaller than a turkey though, Teresa – you’ll need to stuff a few guineafowls for the Christmas table 😉
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