Animal Profiles
Birds

Guinea Fowl

Numididae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Guineafowl are ground-feeding African birds. This account describes the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris), whose rounded spotted body contrasts with a bare head and bony casque.

Numida meleagris (guinea fowl)

Representative species: Numida meleagris.

Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Habitat
Savanna, Grassland
Diet
Omnivore
Food
Seeds, plant material and small animals.

Classification

Common name
Guinea Fowl
Browse group
Birds
Scientific name or taxon
Numididae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Galliformes
Family
Numididae
Source classification
Aves

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • It usually feeds on the ground.
  • Flocks roost in trees at night.
  • Its helmet is called a casque.

Habitat and range

Wild helmeted guineafowl occupy much of sub-Saharan Africa. Open grassland, savanna and cultivated areas with nearby trees provide feeding ground and protected night roosts.

Appearance and adaptations

Dense pale spots cover the dark body. Bare blue and red facial skin surrounds the head, and the casque rises above the crown.

Diet and behaviour

Flocks search the ground for seeds, shoots, bulbs, insects, snails and other small animals. Individuals keep watch and call while feeding. At night they leave the ground to roost in trees.

Sources

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