Description: The head and neck of the helmeted guineafowl are bare, but there may be a wattle. The bill is short and stout; the body is stocky and black and dotted uniformly with white spots; and the wings are medium sized and rounded.

Habitat and Range: Helmeted Guinea Fowl inhabits forest, brush, and grassland. They are found in Madagascar, Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda

Diet in the Wild: Includes seeds, roots, tubers, grubs, rodents, small reptiles, and crawling insects; occasionally feeds on vegetation and fruits

Predators: Martial eagle, Wahlberg's eagle, Tawny eagle, African hawk-eagle, Bateleur, Cape eagle-owl, Verreaux's eagle-owl.

Life Cycle: Incubation 26-28 days
Clutch size: 7-20 eggs
Fledgling Duration: 10 weeks
Life Span: Approximately 15 years

Status: IUCN: Not Listed

Fun Facts: The helmeted guineafowl is capable of strong flight, but it is mainly terrestrial often choosing to run rather than fly. It typically roosts in trees.

Pairs remain monogamous. This diurnal bird calls with a rasping, stuttering, grating "keerrrr". Lives in flocks of up to hundreds of birds, and forages on open ground.

Guineafowl are both monomorphic and monochromatic - meaning both sexes look and act alike.

Guineafowl are found in Greek mythology. Meleagros was the son of Oeneus, king of Calydon. According to legend, upon his death, his sisters were transformed to guineafowl.

Conservation Message: The ancient Romans domesticated guineafowl for food. These birds are still kept domestically and also hunted today.

Gotch, A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained. Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981.

Delacour, J. The Pheasants of the World. 2nd ed. World Pheasant Association and Spur Publications, Hindhead, U.K. 1977.

Perrins, Dr. C. M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World. New York: Prentice Hall Press. 1990.

http://www.xmission.com/~hoglezoo/birds/guinfwl.htm