red junglefowl Fast Facts
Overview
There are four species of Junglefowl, here at Wild Discovery we have Red Junglefowl. They are a large, bodied land bird, related to turkeys, pheasants and chickens. It has been proven that the current day domesticated chicken is a descendant from the Junglefowl. The Red Junglefowl originates from much of Southeast Asia and parts of Southern Asia. Foraging in disturbed habitats for ripe fruits and seeds. The male displays beautifully coloured plumage, his tail feathers can grow up to 28cm long. Females are generally brown and grey. The colour of their plumage helps them to camouflage.
Diet
Red Junglefowl are omnivores. They will eat a variety of foods including fruit, seeds, roots and leaves. They will also eat small insects and even small lizards.
Reproduction
During the breeding season the dominant males will make the typical "cook-a-doodle-do" call to attract a female. The females make the nest and incubate the eggs for 21 days, then care the chicks once hatched.
Threats + Conservation
Rodents, reptiles and coucals are nest predators of the Red Junglefowl, predating on the eggs and the chicks. The species is considered to be Least Concern by the IUCN Redlist, however it is thought that the wild populations are threatened by hybridization on the edges with domestic chickens and also loss of habitat as the human population grows.
Fun facts
They are the ancestor of our domestic chickens. They are very noisy birds, making most of their calls in the morning.