Guineafowl Redux Traditional Cache

Guineafowl Redux

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 into the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and Europe (e.g. southern France).

There are nine recognized sub-species of which, the South African guineafowl, N. m. coronata is the one occurring locally. The sub-species are differentiated mostly by a large variation in the shape, size and colour of the casque and facial wattles.

It is a large (53–58cm) bird with a round body and small head and weighs about 1.3 kg. The body 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.

It is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season of about 25 birds that also roost communally. They consume massive quantities of ticks, which might otherwise spread lyme disease.

Some key facts:

-         terrestrial, and prefer 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

-         can walk over 10km in a day, and are great runners

-         make loud harsh calls when disturbed

-         diet: omnivorous - a variety of animal and plant food: seeds, fruits, greens, snails, spiders, worms and insects, frogs, lizards, small snakes and small mammals

-         have 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

-         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 generally a unlined scrape or lined with grass stems and feathers well-hidden in grass or other vegetation. The clutch is normally 6-12 eggs which the female incubates for 26-28 days.

Flocks of guineafowl have flourished in recent years in the suburbs of Cape Town [and in Simon’s 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. 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. Adult birds are sometimes caught and eaten by the homeless.

They are preyed upon by the larger raptors and hawks.

Helmeted guineafowl (HGF) are often domesticated, and it is this species that is sold in Western supermarkets.