Plumed Guineafowl - BirdForum Opus

Guttera plumifera

Photo by Semiramis
Location: Dzanga-Nodki national park, Central African Republic

Identification

46 cm. Typical Guineafowl in shape, and size. All black with fine white spotting, white shafts to the primaries makes a thin wing panel. Longish, upstanding "punk"-type crest from forehead to rear of crown composed of plain black feathers. Rest of head and upper neck grey bare skin with a triangulsr malar wattle that is blackish grey. eye red. Bill whitish grey. Legs grey.

Distribution

s Cameroon to w edge of Rift Valley

Taxonomy

Subspecies

• G. p. plumifera - S Cameroon to Congo basin, n Gabon and n Angola
• G. p. schubotzi - N Zaire to Rift Valley and forests west of Lake Tanganyika

Habitat

Humid primary forests.

Behaviour

Secretive but, in the non-breeding season can be found in flocks of up to 50.

Voice

Contact call a sharp "tchik, tchik". Loud "kow, kow, kow" first thing in the morning.

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