- Guttera pucherani
Identification
Black with pale blue spots. The outer secondaries have creamy-white outer webs, showing as a pale edge on the folded wing. The bare face and upper neck have a red throat and area around the eye and the rest is blue-grey. Bill is pale and eye is dark red.
Distribution
Africa: Somalia to Tanzania, Zanzibar and Tumbatu Island.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly included together with two other species in Crested Guineafowl.
Habitat
Humid forest, especially at forest edge, thickets and dense woodland.
Behaviour
In flocks of up to 20 individuals when not breeding; split into smaller groups and pairs when breeding. Generally seen on road verges in dense woodland and forest, or at bush camps, where they become habituated to humans.
Diet
Forages on the ground for seeds, fruit, stems, leaves, bulbs, roots and invertebrates.
Breeding
Monogamous. The nest is a scrape in the ground in dense cover. Two to twelve eggs are laid October to February.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
- Stevenson, T. & J Fanshawe 2020. Birds of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi) - second edition. Helm Field Guides, Christooher Helm London. ISBN 978-1-4081-5736-7
- del Hoyo, J., I. Martínez, G. M. Kirwan, N. Collar, and D. A. Christie (2022). Eastern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cregui3.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Eastern Crested Guineafowl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Eastern_Crested_Guineafowl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
