Helmeted Guineafowl

(Numida meleagris)

Live: Africa, south of the Sahara Desert

Habitat: Savannah, open grassland, open forests and rocky terrain

Diet: Seeds, berries, bulbs, insects, small snails and spiders

Gestation: Up to 20 eggs are laid which hatch after 27 days

Lifespan: Unknown in the wild

Status: Not endangered

General: The name comes from the bony horn-like helmet on the top of its head. It is a medium-sized bird with grey to black plumage and a bead-like design of closely set white dots. It has only a few feathers on its head, where the skin is red and bright blue. 

There are 4 types of Helmeted guineafowl found throughout Africa, each with a slightly different-shaped horn and colouration.

Helmeted guineafowl live in large flocks of over 100 individuals. They are often seen flying together at dusk to reach communal roosts where they spend the night.

It is rare for them to fly away to escape predators. Instead they defend themselves by pecking and scratching and also by running away. They are excellent runners, sometimes covering 20 miles in a day.