Numididae series | 珍珠鸡科 | liewwk Nature [update 20250204]

 

1. Southern Crested Guineafowl, 南冠珠鸡, 南冠珠雞, Guttera edouardi

 

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1. Southern Crested Guineafowl, 南冠珠鸡, 南冠珠雞, Guttera edouardi

A large-bodied, small-headed, black gamebird perfectly lined with rows of hundreds of bluish-white spots. It has a ridiculous-looking plumed “toupee” above the naked face, which features an ivory-colored bill and a blood-red eye. The facial skin color varies geographically, and can be mostly blue-gray with small patches of red and white, or predominantly blue-gray with a large white patch on the back of the neck. A broad band around the base of the neck is unspotted black. It prefers forest and thickets, where it forages on the ground for berries, seeds, and other plant matter. The similar Helmeted Guineafowl differs by its lack of feathered crest and its having a bone-like casque on top of the head instead. The alarm call is a series of rattling, agitated notes that speed up and slow down; similar to the call of Helmeted Guineafowl, but with a tinnier quality. [Ebird]

南非冠珠鸡(Guttera edouardi),曾经是东非冠珠鸡的亚种,2014年设为独立物种。体长46-56厘米,翼展75-100厘米,体重721-1573克。有一个独特的黑色的顶部,卷曲的羽毛形成的羽冠,其形状根据亚种而不同,头部和颈部裸露的皮肤呈灰蓝色,眼周和额头和喉咙有大片红色斑点。全身羽毛为纯黑色,上面布有密集的白色斑点。虹膜红色,鸟喙粉色,腿爪灰色。
栖息于森林和茂密的河边林地,成对或聚小群,吃水果、浆果、种子和无脊椎动物。经常跟随猴子,啄食灵长类从树顶落下的食物。春季和夏季繁殖,雌鸡在厚厚的植被中挖掘一个浅坑为鸟巢,每窝产4-5枚卵。
update 202502

As we were nearing our hotel on a cloudy day, a large group of birds suddenly appeared by the roadside. Wow, what a stunning sight!

当我们快到酒店时,天空乌云密布,一大群鸟儿突然出现在路边。哇,真是太美了!

202501,
St Lucia, South Africa

 

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