The crested guinea fowl Guttera pucherani
Crested guinea fowl видео
The crested guinea fowl is found in sub-Saharan Africa where it inhabits forests and forest-savannah mosaics. This bird reaches 45–56 cm in body length and is characterized by the black crest, bare blue head and red skin around the eyes. The crested guinea fowl is omnivorous; it feeds on seeds of weeds and trees, berries, fruit, and various invertebrates including insects, spiders, centipedes, and small molluscs. While foraging, the birds usually move in small groups. Crested guinea fowl form stable long-standing pairs. The breeding period coincides with the raining season. The female lays 4–5 eggs of yellowish-white colour in a sheltered nest and incubates the clutch for 23–24 days, hardly leaving the nest. The male always stays close to the nest, protecting the female, and later participates in brood-rearing, uncharacteristically for Galliformes. Soon after hatching, the chicks leave the nest and follow their parents. They develop very fast and are able to fly up onto the branches located at the height of 2 m when they are 12 days old, completely fledging by the age of one month.
