Guinea hen

Scientific Name: – Numida meleagris

The guineafowl (sometimes called guineahen) are a family of birds in the Galliformes order, although some authorities (for example the American Ornithologists’ Union) include the guineafowl as a subfamily, Numidinae, of the family Phasianidae. The guineafowl are native to Africa, but the helmeted guineafowl has been domesticated, and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere.
This family of insect- and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resemble partridges, but with featherless heads, though both members of the genus Guttera have a distinctive black crest, and the vulturine guineafowl has a downy brown patch on the nape. Most species of guineafowl have a dark grey or blackish plumage with dense white spots, but both members of the genus Agelastes lack the spots (as do some domestic variants of the helmeted guineafowl). While several species are relatively well known, the plumed guineafowl and the two members of the genus Agelastes remain relatively poorly known. These large birds measure from 40?71 cm (16?28 inches) in length, and weigh 700?1600 grams or 1.5-3.5 pounds.

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