Vulturine Guineafowl

The Vulturine guineafowl (acryllium vulturinum) is the largest extant species of guinaefowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guineafowl genera. Its closest living relative, the White breasted ginaefowl, Agelastes meleagrides inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of the bird family Numididae, and is the only member of the genus Acryllium. It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ehiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania.

Description:

The vulturine guineafowl is a large (61–71 cm) bird with a round body and small head. It has a longer wings, neck, legs and tail than other guineafowl. The adult has a bare blue face and black neck, and although all other guineafowl have unfeathered heads, this species looks particularly like a vulture because of the long bare neck and head.

The slim neck projects from a cape of long, glossy, blue and white hackles. The breast is cobalt blue, and the rest of the body plumage is black, finely spangled with white. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is longer than others in the family Numididae.

The sexes are similar, although the female is usually slightly smaller than the male and with smaller tarsal spurs. Young birds are mainly grey-brown, with a duller blue breast and short hackles.

Behaviour:

The vulturine guineafowl is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food is seeds and small invertibrates. This guineafowl is terrestrial and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts in trees. It makes loud chink-chink-chink-chink-chink calls.

It breeds in dry and open habitats with scattered bushes and trees, such as savannah or grassland. It usually lays 4-8 cream-coloured eggs in a well-hidden grass-lined scrape.

Fast Facts:

Description:

These birds have bright blue body with black and white streaks ans small white dots on the black feathers. They have a "horny" hemlet on the top of their naked heads. The head region is bright with  blue, red, and yellow. The eyes are red and the break is short and black. There is a tiny brown feathers on the back of its head . The males and females look very similar and are difficult to dishtinguish.

Size: 60.8 to 52.8 cm (20 to 24 in. ) in length.

Weight : 1 to 1.6 kg (2.2  to 3.5 1bs.)

Diet: These birds will feed on seeds, roots, tubers, grubs, rodents , small reptiles and insects. They will occasionally feed on vegetation and fruits.

Incubation: 28 days; the chicks are precocial and have gold and brown-striped down plumage.

Clutch size: 3 to 18 eggs.

Feldging Duration: 10 weeks.

Sexual Maturity: 2 years.

Life span: 15 years.

Range: This species has an extremely large range and can be found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.

Habitat: Dry to desert areas with tall grass, patches of scrub, thorn bushes, and a few trees. These birds seem to population.The total population is large and scientists believe there are at least 10,000 mature individuals.

Status:

IUCN: Least Concern.

CITES: Not listed.

USFWS: Not listed.

Population is stable and is not severely fragmented.

Prefer high perches for nocturnal roosting.

Fun Facts:

The vulturine guineafowl is often referred to as the "royal guineafowl". They are named for their bald head and neck, which resembles a vulture. These birds are both monomorphic and monochromatic.

This means that both sexes have a very similar. Captive hens have produced up to 40 eggs in just one season (3 clutches). The eggshells of this species are extremely thick and difficult to break. Chicks hatch by "breaking out". These birds are excellent runners and rarely fly, with exception of reaching nocturnal roosting perches. The chicks are well-developed when they hatch and can fly within a few days instead of chipping away at the shell form and coloration. In other words, it can be difficult to distinguish the sexes striking appearance. 

These birds roost high in trees at night. Their calls, when disturbed or excited, can be heard over long Nests may contain eggs from more than one hen and they may share incubation duties. These birds can be quite aggressive towards one another and have been known to fatally injure their Males tend to be very aggressive towards the hens most of the time. One effective way to distinguish the sexes is by observing each individual's body posture. The males tend to carry their heads high and attempt to look as big as possible. Females, on the other hand, tend to adopt a submissive posture.own kind if competition for food or prime roosting areas comes into question. Even the chicks have been known to attack one another distances.

Ecology and Conservation:

These birds can survive long periods without water and tend to acquire the majority of their water. These birds may suffer locally from hunting pressure. They have numerous predators such as raptors, monkeys, and several small mammals which hunt the eggs and the chicks, and may even kill the adults.requirements from the vegetation that they consume.

Vulturine Guineafowl Bird Information:

kingdom: Animallia.

Phylum: Chordata.

Class: Aves.

Order: Galliformes.

Family: Numididae.

Genus: Acryllium. G.R.Gray, 1840.

Species: A. vulturinum.

Binomial Name: Acryllium vulturinum.

Hardwicke: 1834.

Height: 61-70 cm(Adult).

Conservation: Least Concern(Population stable).

Clutch size: 4-8.