Black Guineafowl

About

The black guinea fowl is a terrestrial bird of the Numididae family found in humid forests in West-Central Africa. It is a medium-sized, black galliforme bird with a bare, orange-pink head and upper neck. As it inhabits dense, potentially inaccessible, regions of equatorial African jungle, little is known of black guinea fowl behaviour or habits. By all accounts, it is a more reclusive, secretive bird when compared to the other, more sociable guinea fowl species; i.e., researchers have been able to successfully observe and document far more information on the confident, gregarious and open grassland-dwelling helmeted guinea fowl, or even the more exotic vulturine guinea fowl. Compared to the black guinea fowl, the aforementioned species tend to be found in more exposed, dry savanna and arid open forest habitat, and congregate in larger communal flocks. Black guinea fowl are seemingly very wary birds, living in smaller social groups than other guinea fowl, and are constantly looking for signs of danger—the slightest hint of which will send the group darting into the bush to hide.

Quick Facts

Threats

• Habitat Change
• Human Disturbance