Guineafowl

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Guineafowl
Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris
Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Numididae
de Sélys Longchamps, 1842
Genera

The guineafowl (sometimes called guineahen) are a family of birds in the same order as the pheasants, turkeys and other game birds and is native to Africa.

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[edit] Description and ecology

This is a family of insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. At least three of the species are poorly studied.

Helmeted Guineafowl from Namibia.
Helmeted Guineafowl from Namibia.

The species for which the information is known are normally monogamous, mating for life. However, occasional bigamy has been recorded for the Helmeted Guineafowl (Madge and McGowan, p345-352).

They are large birds which measure from 40-71 cm in length, and weigh 700-1600 g.

The Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and introduced outside its natural range, for example in southern France, the West Indies, and esp. the United States.

The American Ornithologists' Union includes guineafowl (Numididae) as a subfamily of Phasianidae.

Helmeted Guinea Fowl in tall grass
Helmeted Guinea Fowl in tall grass


[edit] List of species in taxonomic order

[edit] Domesticated guineafowl

Main article: Domesticated guineafowl

Guineafowl have a long history of domestication, mainly involving the Helmeted Guineafowl. The young, called "keets" are very small at birth. The keets are kept in a brooder box inside the house until about 6 weeks of age, before being moved into a proper coop/enclosure. They eat lice, worms, ants, spiders, weedseeds, and ticks while on range or they can also eat chicken layer crumbles while housed in a coop.

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