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Patridges
Francolins
Showing posts with label Fowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fowl. Show all posts
5/20/18
5/19/18
Fowl Types
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Chickens
These birds are raised for their poultry-meat, eggs and sometimes for their feathers. The chickens have different combs shapes and nodules on their head and or beaks.
4/16/18
Quails
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Quails
A Quail is a small bird with a rounded body and short tail, that spends a lot of time on the ground and is often shot for sport and food. It is smaller than most fowl like Chickens and most Partridges or the Pheasants which are the Largest.
Pheasants
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A Pheasant is a large bird with a rounded body and long tail, that spends a lot of time on the ground and is often shot for sport and food. It is larger than most fowl like Chickens and most Partridges or the Quails which is the smallest.
Masked Bobwhite
Masked
Bobwhite Quail
(Colinusvirginianus)
Photographed at Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Arizona Apr 2009
One of Arizona’s most famous birds,
the masked bobwhite quail was saved from extinction by the Endangered Species
Act.
The known range of the masked
bobwhite in the United States includes the Altar and Santa Cruz valleys in
Arizona. The masked bobwhite was first identified in 1884 and was recognized as
highly endangered just a short while later.
In 1985, Arizona’s Buenos Aires
National Wildlife Refuge, containing approximately 118,000 acres of savannah
grassland in the Altar Valley, was created for the masked bobwhite. It contains
the only population of the birds in the United States.
Gambel's Quail
Gambel's
Quail
(Callipeplagambelii)
Photographed in the wild, Phoenix, Arizona Apr 2009
The name "Gambel’s" is in
recognition of William Gambel (1821-1849), an American naturalist who died on
an ill-fated winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada. Gambel’s quail inhabit
brushy and thorny vegetation of south-western deserts. Also known as the Arizona,
top-knot or desert quail, they are found in dry areas of the south-western
United States and parts of Mexico. They have also been introduced to Hawaii.
Female Male
Gambel's Quail form large groups or
coveys as large as 200 during the winter in Arizona. During the spring, these
large flocks break up and the males begin to draw females to their chosen
territory. Fights between rival males can become quite vicious while they try
to draw mates into their territories
4/15/18
Silver Pheasant
Silver
Pheasant
Lophura nycthemera
Photographed at Ardastra Zoo, Nassau Bahamas Dec 2012
Silver Pheasants inhabit the mountain forests of Mainland Southeast Asia and China. There are fifteen subspecies of Silver Pheasant, distributed from east Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, China to the island of Hainan.
Widespread and common in most of its ranges. This is a relatively large pheasant, with males of the largest subspecies having a total length of 47 to 49 in, including a tail of up to 30 in, while the males of the smallest subspecies barely reach 28 in in total length, including a tail of about 12 in, The body mass of males can range from 2.5–4.4 lb. Females of all subspecies are notably smaller than their respective males. The body mass of females can range from 2.2–2.9 lb.
Lady Amhurst
Lady Amherst Pheasant
(Chrysolophus amherstiae)
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida Mar 2016
The Lady Amherst's are native to south western China and Tibet, but have also established a self-supporting, but now declining, feral population in England. This species is closely related to the Golden Pheasant. Next to the Golden Pheasant, the Lady Amherst is said to be the easiest pheasant to breed. This pheasant is one of the most vibrant colored pheasant species. Their ritualistic dance, display and dazzling beauty makes them a very popular species. They can also be easily hand-tamed.
The name commemorates Sarah Countess Amherst, wife of William Pitt Amherst, Governor General of Bengal, who was responsible for sending the first specimen of the bird to London in 1828.
Golden Pheasant
Pheasant (Golden)
Chrysolophuspictus
Photographed at Animal Kingdom, Orlando, Florida Mar 2011
The Golden Pheasant is one of the most popular of all pheasant species kept in captivity. It is very beautiful, hardy, easy to keep and great for beginners. The Golden has been kept in captivity since as early as 1740 and perhaps was the first type of pheasant brought to North America.
There is evidence that George Washington may have kept them at Mt. Vernon! For being so well known and familiar in captivity, very little is known of their habits in the wild, in the mountains of central China.
Although they can fly in short bursts they are quite clumsy in flight and spend most of their time on the ground. Golden Pheasants lay 8-12 eggs at a time and will then incubate these for around 22–23 days. They tend to eat berries, grubs, seeds and other types of vegetation.
Moutain Bamboo
Mountain
Bamboo Partridge
Bambusicola
fytchii
Photographed at Reid Zoo, Tucson, Arizona Mar 2010
Mountain Bamboo Partridges of the
Himalayas are small ground birds with a short black beak, short rounded wings,
and a short tail. They are approximately 14 inches tall.
The Mountain Bamboo species in India
inhabit the bamboo scrub forest, tall grasslands and degraded forest areas and
bamboo groves near water. The mountain bamboo partridge spend much of the time
under the cover of undergrowth. They feed on seeds, berries, shoots, buds,
grains, insects and worms. Breeding takes place between March and September.
The male mountain bamboo partridge is monogamous and the female incubates the
eggs. The Male partridge feeds the incubating female and the chicks.
When Mountain Bamboo Partridges are
threatened, they prefer to run away. If necessary, they fly with short,
strong bursts, usually only for a few feet. They are rarely found far from
water. Their voice is a “loud ringing cackle” that repeats two notes over
and over.
Grey Francolins
Grey Francolin Partridge
Francolinus
pondicerianus
Photographed in the wild,
Kohala, Big Island Hawaii Mar 2014
"The Grey Francolin (formerly called Grey Partridge) is a common breeding resident game bird of India. It was first introduced to Hawaii in 1958. It is a species of partridge found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia up to altitudes of 1000 m. Usually seen in open cultivated land and scrub forests, their local Hindi name is “Teetar” (can also be used to describe other partridges and quails) and is based on their loud repeated Ka-tee-tar-tee-tar call which may be produced by more than one bird at a time.
Since males attract challengers for a fight in the mating season, decoys are often used to trap these birds."
The Grey’s are usually found around sea level up to 500 feet while the other Hawaiian Francolins will be at higher altitudes.
Erckel's Francolin
Erckel's Francolin
Pternistis Erckelii
Photographed in the wild on
Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii Mar 2014
In 1957 the species was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands but is native to Ethiopia. This type of partridge was one of many game birds brought to Hawai'i. There are two other varieties of Francolin on the islands, the Grey Francolin and the Black Francolin.
Both the male and female are similar and sport a bright chestnut coloured cap. Both the male and female also have spurs on the backs of their legs; the male has two distinct spurs, whereas the female will only have one spur.
The Erckel female lays 7 to 12 spotted eggs which hatch about 22 days after being laid. This particular Francolin was photographed by the roadside of the Mauna Kea volcano at 9,000 ft.
Crested Wood
Rollulus Rouloul
Photographed at
Reid Zoo, Tucson, Arizona Mar 2010
Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida Mar 2011
The Crested Wood Partridge, also known as
the Crested Partridge, is a game bird
in the pheasant family. This small partridge
is a resident breeder in lowland rainforests in south Burma,
south Thailand,
and Malaysia.
The male is blue in body (top photo) and the female is green in body with brown
(photo below).
The crested wood
partridge can live in groups of up to 15 individuals. Breeding pairs dig tunnel
like nests beneath the litter of the forest floor. Offspring can number from
four to eight chicks, which are cared for cooperatively by each parent. Larger
broods may be divided, with each parent caring exclusively for half. Parents
feed chicks for the first week, after which chicks forage for their own food.
Chukar Partridge
Chukar Partridge
(Alectoris chukar)
Photographed at
Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, Canada Feb 2012
This partridge has its native range in Asia,
the Chukar was introduced into the United States from Pakistan to be a game
bird. British sportsmen in India
considered the Chukar as good sport although they were not considered to be
particularly good in flavour. Their fast flight and ability to fly some
distance after being shot made recovery of the birds difficult without
retriever dogs. It lives in dry, rocky terrain across the
western United States and southern Canada.
The Chukar is the National bird of Pakistan. In Punjab,
the Chukar has been considered as a symbol of intense, and often unrequited,
love. They look a lot like a quail without the protruding head feathers.
Return to Partridges
Return to Partridges
Red Junglefowl
Red Junglefowl
Gallus gallus
Photographed in wild,
St Thomas US Virgin Islands Dec 2012 Mar 2015
This bird occupies a wide range of habitat throughout
its broad range. From sea level to over 6,000 ft, they are found in nearly all
tropical to subtropical habitats. Rolling hills of bamboo forests and other
secondary growth is preferred. Males form harems of 3-4 hens and breeding
begins as early as January. Nests with 5-6 eggs are placed under a bush or in a
bamboo clump and the hen alone cares for the young.
Introduced to the Dominican Republic and spread
throughout the West Indies. Bread as a farm fowl for their eggs and meat.
Juvenile in top picture, adult in lower
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Helmeted Guinea fowl
Helmeted
Guinea Fowl
(Numidameleagris)
Photographed at Reid Zoo, Tucson, Arizona Mar 2010
This
is a family of insect
and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges,
but with featherless
heads. They breed in Africa,
mainly south of the Sahara,
and has been widely introduced into the West Indies
and southern France.
Helmeted
guinea fowl are not agile fliers but they do manage short bursts of rapid flight.
When they sense danger, they usually flee by running away quickly, often
plunging into the shelter of thick vegetation.
Helmeted
guinea fowl are not currently threatened in the wild. In fact, their meat and
eggs are so popular that in many parts of the world that the birds are farmed
on an industrial scale.
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Curassow
Great Curassow
Crax rubra
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Florida Mar 2016
The great curassow is a 36-inch tall,
hearty bird from southern Mexico to western Ecuador. All great curassows have a
peak of forward-curling feathers on their heads, and long tails. The base of
the great curassow's bill is yellow with a round bulge. The coloring of the
females varies; they can be black or chestnut-colored with black or white bars
and their heads and crest may be striped with black and white. The males are a
lustrous blue or black, and have white bellies. They have long lifespans (up to
24 years!) and a low rate of reproduction.
The male curassow leads his family and whistles when there are signs of danger. Females lay two eggs at a time. Curassows are monogamous and travel in pairs or in small groups. The group can communicate by grunting. Like chickens, they tend to run rather than fly.
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Cubalaya
Cubalaya (Gypsy) Chicken
Photographed in Key West Florida Nov 2013
By 1860, Cubans began to move to Key West during the Ten Years' War and brought their love for cock fighting with them. Luckily, the southernmost city outlawed cockfighting in 1970's, putting the Cubalaya chickens out of business, and out on the streets of Key West.
Female
The Cubalaya was developed in Cuba from several different Game breeds during the late nineteenth century and was standardized as a breed in 1939. Though the parentage of the Cubalaya is strictly Games it has never been used in the Pit of cock fighting. Instead, the breed was developed for its beauty and ability to produce meat and eggs. Also known as the Gypsy Chickens of Key West.
We now have what we call 'Gypsy Chickens'. Like in the 1970's, they are still protected, and make their home in the Key West.
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