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Numididae

(Family)

Overview

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The guinea fowl (sometimes called guinea hen) are a family of in the Galliformes order, although some authorities (for example the American Ornithologists' Union) include the guinea fowl as a subfamily, Numidinae, of the family Phasianidae. The guinea fowl are native to Africa, but the Helmeted Guinea fowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere.

Description and Ecology

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This is a family of insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads, though both members of the genus Guttera have a distinctive black crest, and the Vulturine Guinea fowl has a downy brown patch on the nape. Most species of guinea fowl have a dark grey or blackish plumage with dense white spots, but both members of the genus Agelastes lack the spots (as do some domestic variants of the Helmeted Guinea fowl). While several species are relatively well known, the Plumed Guinea fowl and the two members of the genus Agelastes remain relatively poorly known.

The species for which the information is known are normally monogamous, mating for life. However, occasional bigamy has been recorded for the Helmeted Guinea fowl (Madge and McGowan, p345-352). All g uinea fowl are social, and typically occur in small groups.

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

The Helmeted and Vulturine Guinea fowl generally occur in open or semi-open habitats such as savanna or semi-deserts, while the remaining species of guinea fowl mainly occur in forests.

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

List of Species in Taxonomic Order

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This is a list of guinea fowl species, presented in taxonomic order.

Domesticated Guinea Fowl

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Main article: Domesticated guineafowl

Guinea fowl have a long history of domestication, mainly involving the Helmeted Guinea fowl; in the UK they were usually known as "Gleanies". The young (called "keets") are very small at birth. The keets are kept in a brooder box inside the house until about six weeks of age, before being moved into a proper coop or enclosure. They eat lice, worms, ants, spiders, weedseeds, and ticks while on range or they can also eat chicken layer crumbles (one kind of commercial bird food) while housed in a coop. The cooked flesh of guinea fowl resembles chicken in texture, with a flavour somewhere between chicken and turkey.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Numididae is a member of the Superfamily Numidoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Numididae:

The Family Numididae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Acryllium

The Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) is the largest and most spectacular of the bird family, Numididae, and is the only member of the genus Acryllium. It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania. [more]

Agelastes

Agelastes is a small genus of in the guineafowl family. It comprises two species: [more]

Guttera

Guttera is a small genus of in the guineafowl family. The two species are found in forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike other guineafowl, they have a distinctive black crest. [more]

Numida

The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies and southern France. [more]

Phasidus

[more]

More info about the Genus Phasidus may be found here.

References

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Sources

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Last Revised: September 22, 2009
2009/09/22 13:34:18