Grey Junglefowl

Overview

The grey junglefowl, Gallus sonneratii, is a wild ancestor of the domestic chicken found exclusively in India. It is classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Males have a black cape with ochre spots and a finely patterned grey body, while females are duller with black and white streaking on the underparts.
• Both sexes possess yellow legs, but males have red legs and spurs.
• Males feature long, sickle-shaped central tail feathers and red wattles and combs.
• The species produces a loud, distinctive call transcribed as 'Ku-kayak-kyuk-kyuk', audible at dawn and dusk.

Habitat

Endemic to India, this species is primarily found in peninsular India and extends towards the northern boundary into Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and southern Rajasthan. It inhabits thickets, forest floors, and open scrub, often overlapping with the red junglefowl in the Aravalli range.

Diet

Grey junglefowl forage in small mixed or single-sex groups, feeding on grains such as bamboo seeds, berries, insects, and termites. They are often seen on the ground but will fly into trees to escape predators.

Did you know?

The elongated neck feathers of the male, which end in a small hard yellowish plate, are highly valued for making high-grade artificial flies for fly tying.