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| Vulturine guinea fowl | |
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| Individual atSamburu National Reserve | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Numididae |
| Genus: | Acryllium Gray, GR, 1840 |
| Species: | A. vulturinum |
| Binomial name | |
| Acryllium vulturinum (Hardwicke, 1834) | |
The vulturine guinea fowl (Acryllium vulturinum) is the largest extantspecies ofguinea fowl. Systematically, it is only distantly related to other guinea fowlgenera. Its closest living relative, thewhite breasted guinea fowl,Agelastes meleagrides inhabit primary forests in Central Africa. It is a member of thebird familyNumididae, and is the only member of the genusAcryllium. It is a resident breeder in northeastAfrica, from southernEthiopia andSomalia throughKenya and just into northernTanzania.[2]
The vulturine guinea fowl is a large (61–71 centimetres (24–28 in)) bird with a round body and small head. It's average weight is between 1kg to 1.6kg and it has longer wings, neck, legs and tail than other guinea fowl. The adult has a bare blue face and black neck, and although all other guinea fowl have unfeathered heads, this species looks particularly like avulture 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 familyNumididae.
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.
The vulturine guinea fowl is agregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food are seeds and smallinvertebrates. This guinea fowl is terrestrial and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts intrees. It makes loudchink-chink-chink-chink-chink calls.
It breeds in dry and open habitats with scattered bushes and trees, such assavannah or grassland. It usually lays 4–8 cream-coloured eggs in a well-hidden grass-lined scrape.
Vulturine guinea fowl eat seeds, roots, tubers, grubs, rodents, small reptiles and insects. They also occasionally eat vegetation and fruits.[2]
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