What to Know About Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda?

The Helmeted Guinea Fowl in Uganda is one of the African birds of Uganda seen during Uganda birding safaris & Tours. The helmeted guineafowl is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida.

It is native to Africa, mainly in Murchison Falls national park in Uganda. They may live for up to 12 years in the wild, they are often domesticated.

How Does the Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda Look Like?”

These large, chicken-liked birds can easily be recognized by their relatively large size 53–58 cm, dark grey bodies with white speckles and by their featherless, helmet-like head, which is blue and red in color.

Males have a bigger helmet than the females. These birds also have short, rounded wings and tail feathers.

The short beaks are accompanied by hanging wattles that surround the nostrils. Feet consist of three front toes and one hind toe.

How Does the Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda Sing and Make Calls

Helmeted Guineafowl make a harsh, loud sound during breeding season to attract a partner. They also make a different harsh noise when in danger.

Males tend to puff up their feathers and lift their wings during combat, which is very seldom. Males will also challenge any intruders that come too close

How Does the Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda Feed?

Helmeted Guineafowl mostly live on seeds and insects. They use their short beaks and feet to scrub amongst soils and rubble in search of food.

They have been spotted dissecting elephant dung in search of food. During summer they concentrate mainly on insects and during winter they subsist on seeds and bulbs.

How Does the Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda Nest?

They will usually just scrape twigs and grasses together and line the nests with soft plant material and feathers. These nests will always be concealed.

How Does the Helmeted Guineafowl in Uganda Breed?

During breeding season both partners will call to each other at the same time, almost as if singing a duet.

After breeding the males will spend the majority of their time defending and feeding the female and will lose a lot of weight and condition.

This method ensures that the female will be strong enough to breed successfully. The females will gain a lot of weight during this time.

How Does the Helmeted Guinea-fowl in Uganda Reproduce?”

Females lay their eggs in another nest to be incubated by the owner of the nest. This process is called egg-dumping.

It is a common occurrence in guineafowl females as the incubation period only starts when the last egg is laid.

The incubation period last 25 to 29 days. Baby guineafowl can leave the nest immediately and are called keets.