Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
A: Gewone Tarentaal
Ss: Kgaka ya lenaka
Z: impangele lehlathi

BIRD FAMILY
Guineafowls

SIZE
53-58cm (L)

HABITAT
When not breeding, flocks are sometimes very large, occurring in grassland, bushveld and farmlands. Regularly goes to water in the evenings.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Very common resident. Told by blue neck, red cap and horny casque on head. Chick a is buffy-brown, striped darker; juvenile predominantly brown, darker on upper parts, head-stripes remaining until casque starts growing; immature resembles adult but has feathered neck, dark brown helmet and rudimentary casque. Normal adult call is a much-repeated ‘ker-bek-ker-bek-ker-bek, krrrrrr…’; female also utters a continual piping ‘t-phueet-t-phueet-t-phueet…’.