Guinea fowl
| Guineafowl | |
|---|---|
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| Helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Superfamily: | Phasianoidea |
| Family: |
Numididae Longchamps, 1842 |
| Genera | |
Guineafowl (/ˈɡɪnifaʊl/; sometimes called "pet speckled hen", or "original fowl" or guineahen) are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to the continent of Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. They are phylogenetically intermediate between peafowl and the Odontophoridae. One Eocene fossil lineage, Telecrex, is represented by the black guineafowl, an extant species native to the primary forests of Central Africa. Telecrex, which inhabited Mongolia, may have given rise to the oldest of the true Tetraophasianids like Ithaginis and Crossoptilon, which evolved into high-altitude montane adapted species with the rise of the Tibetan Plateau. While modern guineafowl species are endemic to Africa, the helmeted guineafowl has been introduced widely elsewhere.
This is a list of guineafowl species, presented in taxonomic order.
The insect- and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds of this family resemble partridges, but with featherless heads, though both members of the genus Guttera have a distinctive black crest, and the vulturine guineafowl has a downy brown patch on the nape. Most species of guineafowl have a dark grey or blackish plumage with dense white spots, but both members of the genus Agelastes lack the spots (as do some wild variants of the helmeted guineafowl). While several species are relatively well known, the plumed guineafowl and the two members of the genus Agelastes remain relatively poorly known. These large birds measure from 40–71 cm (16–28 inches) in length, and weigh 700–1600 grams or 1.5-3.5 pounds.
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