Helmeted Guineafowl in the UK (1 Viewer)

[Allan Hobbs]

Last Saturday in a field near Puttenham, Surrey we spotted 7 Helmeted Guineafowl, which was surprising to say the least.

Has anyone else seen these? Anybody know the background?

Allan

Latest UK List - Helmeted Guineafowl

 

[Quercus]

Thery are quite often kept as domestic animals ( for the pot) and they quite often turn up as escapes, or free roaming flocks.

 

[Farnboro John]

Therer's a bunch near Odiham as well, or used to be. They were based on a big garden but used to wander out of the gate onto the end of the cul de sac lane. I expect its more frequent than we think.

Now the Peacock up the Findhorn - that was a shock, the first time I saw it fly across the road!

John

 

[dantheman]

There's some Alpacas in some fields near us. Can I count them for my UK mammal list?

 

[Woody]

Saw a group of 5-6 wandering around backroads near to my house a couple of years ago. I figured they were probably just escaped from a farmyard somewhere.

Mike

 

[Larry Lade]

There's some Alpacas in some fields near us. Can I count them for my UK mammal list?

Dan, I found a herd of zebra in Colorado, USA. If you count the alpaca, can I count the zebra!

 

[Larry Lade]

While driving around the oxbow lakes area south of Saint Joseph, Missouri, I frequently see (free roaming) Helmeted Guineafowl, Peafowl, Whooper Swans, etc. which are being kept on a farmstead in the area.

* These are, of course, uncountable exotic birds, but it is kind of neat to see them anyway!

 

[Farnboro John]

There's some Alpacas in some fields near us. Can I count them for my UK mammal list?

No, but if you are using Duff and Lawson you can tick them off as domestics in there along with sheep, cow, ferret etc, giving you a world total higher than the sum of your country totals less overlap!

John

 

[Jacana]

there's a semi-feral colony a few miles up the road from me back home in Shropshire, usually encountered in the middle of the road after a tight bend |^|

 

[Mysticete]

the WTF bird so far for my visit to Washington has been a Muscovy Duck sitting calmly at a roadside ditch on the coast. That was a surprise!

 

[Allan Hobbs]

there's a semi-feral colony a few miles up the road from me back home in Shropshire, usually encountered in the middle of the road after a tight bend |^|

Ah, so they are behaving just like they do in South Africa, where we call them Kamikaze birds.

Allan

 

[parttimer]

I believe that Game Keepers use them in pens with Pheseant to make them less domestic before their release.

 

[Hotspur]

Had two seperate sightings of Guineafowl last year - 2 on Flamboro head and 4 on the wolds in east yorkshire

 

[Allan Hobbs]

It seems that there are quite a few feral colonies around the country.

At what point do these become a native species?

Allan

 

[Jacana]

they aren't on Cat C of the British List and so can't be counted. I'm not sure if there are m/any populations that come close to being self-sustaining so it may be a while before they are added.

 

[Espen]

there are a large flock near hereford, i'v never seen them but thee are usualy feathers everywhere

 

[phil baber]

Between Heron's Green and West Harptree at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, UK.

Again on a nasty bend. Nice flock, but very wanting to die!

Swerve to avoid them. But watch out for the Peacocks!

 

[Mysticete]

Hah, yeah I wonder how sustainable a population they could form. Seem easy picking for foxes and feral dogs.

 

[jurek]

Swerve to avoid them. But watch out for the Peacocks!

Ever met a pair of Mute Swans on the road? I did. :eek!:

 

[Allan Hobbs]

Hah, yeah I wonder how sustainable a population they could form. Seem easy picking for foxes and feral dogs.

I don't think that's a major problem, after all there are considerably more predators in their native african home. I would think the cold winters may be a limiting factor, but it hasn't seemed to bother other exotics such as the Rose-necked Parakeets from flourishing here.

I suppose time will tell.

Allan