The guineafowl (family Numididae) is a family of birds belonging to the order Galliformes, often known as gamebirds. These large ground birds are endemic to Africa and show bald heads and a finely spotted plumage. These birds are mostly insectivorous, widely renowned as pest controllers within their native ranges. They are gregarious, being used as study models for social network research in birds.
The family comprises 8 species in 4 genera. Genera Numida (1 species), Agelastes (2 species), Acryllium (1 species) and Guttera (4 species) occur on the understory of different woodland habitats across Africa, albeit the first genus has been domesticated and since introduced widely elsewhere.
Reichenow’s reichenowi form in Mara North, Kenya, 5 Feb 2024
Helmeted guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Resident in open woodlands across Subsaharan Africa. This species has been domesticated for centuries, likely since Ancient Egypt times. Populations of feral individuals have established elsewhere, as some individuals I have observed in Madagascar. Within the native range, I have seen this species in moist savanna in Kenya.
Mpala Research Center, Laikipia, Kenya, 27 Jan 2024
Vulturine guineafowl
Acryllium vulturinum
Endemic to dry savanna and thornscrub of East Africa. Particularly social, often traveling in large flocks that have served as a study model for research on bird behavior and social relationships in Laikipia County, Kenya, where I have observed this species.
