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Helmeted guineafowl
łac. Numida meleagris, Linnaeus, 1758
The helmeted guineafowl originally comes from Africa. Specimens living in their natural environment are very well adapted to difficult conditions; they can survive periodic water shortages. Like pheasants, they spend nights on trees. They were domesticated about 2000 years ago but they still show some qualities of wild birds. They cannot fly very well and do not do it willingly, but they are good runners for that – they can cover the distance of 5 km a day. Helmeted guineafowls are very shy birds; they react immediately when a predator arrives in their surroundings, screeching loudly and alarming the whole area.
male
body length: 40–75 cm
wingspan: ca. 60 cm
body mass: ca. 1,5 kg
female
body length: 40–75 cm
wingspan: ca. 57 cm
body mass: ca. 1,2 kg