World fauna is very diverse and rich in interesting representatives. The vulture guinea fowl is an unusual and colorful bird that lives in Africa. It is the only representative of the genus of the same name. Consider in this article its origin, description, and characteristics.
Vulture guinea fowl: the origin of the name
Oddly enough, the name of the bird has absolutely nothing to do with vultures that feed on carrion. It came from her appearance. The guinea fowl has a small head, a thin and long neck, framed by a feather collar, and this is typical for birds of the Vulture family.
The bird's beak is strongly concave, short and very strong, which also bears a strong resemblance to the nose of a vulture. But that's not all. They have similar behavioral traits. Vultures go after predators so that they get the remains of their prey. Guinea fowls, on the other hand, can follow the monkeys to feast on the remnants of fruit from their meal. Therefore, the origin of their name is quite logical.
Description of the bird
Description of the vulture guinea fowl is prettyinteresting. The length of an adult bird can be 50 centimeters. As for the weight, it reaches 1.5 kilograms.
These birds have a very dense body. Their chest is powerful, and their legs are unusually strong. Due to the fact that they have large wings, guinea fowls can easily fly up trees. They are characterized by a long tail that hangs down to the ground.
The most unusual thing about these birds is their plumage. It is very colorful and consists of colors such as:
- Black.
- Cob alt blue.
- Purple.
- White.
Their wings are painted black and white. The back is black with white dots on it. The chest is decorated with blue bright strands. Below you can see a photo of a vulture guinea fowl to better understand what plumage it has.
Habitat
Previously, many believed that these birds live in West Africa, but as it turned out, this is an erroneous opinion. It turns out that the vulture guinea fowl prefers to live in the eastern side of Africa, in the Ethiopian, Kenyan, Somali and Tanzanian lands.
Birds prefer dry, flat terrain with lots of acacia and thorny bushes. Due to the fact that guinea fowls live in a dry area, they can perfectly adapt to a variety of conditions. For this reason, they can be grown at home in different parts of the world.
Despite the fact that these are desert animals, they have a very bright color, which is not characteristic of birds living in such an area. Due to such a noticeable color, they oftenPredators attack.
Bird lifestyle
These colorful animals prefer to live in packs, which consist in most cases of 30 individuals. It happens that the number of birds reaches up to 50 individuals. They are capable of flying at distances of no more than 0.5 kilometers. If they are attacked by predators, then the guinea fowl will not fly away, they will flee. On average, birds live up to 10 years.
Birds have a sense of community. For example, if predators attack them, they unite. Together they try to protect the chicks by hiding them in the center of their flock. In the family life of guinea fowls, there is also complete mutual understanding. The male always helps his female find food for the chicks. Such is the friendly lifestyle of vulture guinea fowls.
Reproduction period
The breeding season of birds begins with the advent of tropical rains, because at this time there is a lot of moisture and food. The flock begins to split into couples. There are also those who are left without a soulmate, so small groups of singles are created.
In order not to be alone, males resort to seducing beautiful guinea fowls. The plumage helps them with this. They walk with their heads down and their wings spread wide. If you have to fight for a female with a competitor, then the male will fight for her with his strong legs, wings and beak, which attracts her attention.
Guinea fowls do not build nests for their eggs, they lay them in earthen depressions. It takes a month for the chicks to hatch. On average, there are fivenew family members.
Males also take part in feeding the chicks. They get protein food for them. For example:
- spiders;
- larvae;
- various insects.
Home maintenance
Keeping vulture guinea fowl is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. They need to be well cared for, but it won't take much effort.
For guinea fowls, you should choose a clean and spacious room, as well as regularly release them into fresh air. As for food, here they are definitely unpretentious. They eat less than chickens.
When it is warm outside, it is customary to keep birds in spacious enclosures. If they live in an open area, then they need to clip their wings so that they do not fly away from your yard. Only a couple of flight feathers need to be trimmed, otherwise you may ruin their appearance.
For a comfortable existence, one bird needs 3 square meters in an open aviary. The terrain must be selected such that vegetation grows on it. It is best to install some kind of water source that the chickens really need.
You also need to make a canopy so that during the heat the birds can hide under it. They can also sleep under it. You should also build perches, which are placed at a height of about 50 cm.
If vulture guinea fowl are in a closed enclosure, then one individual should have 2 square meters. The cover of the aviary must be transparent, it is best to doit is made of polycarbonate. It is recommended to give preference to colored material so that the sun's rays do not fall on the animals. The room should be spacious and with perches. These birds need to move a lot, so they like to fly from roost to roost.
For bedding, you can choose sawdust or wood shavings. You need to make sure that it is always clean and dry. If this is not done, then the birds will develop infectious diseases.
You still need to make an exit from the aviary to the poultry house, in which the birds will go to warm up, so it is recommended to insulate the walls in it. The most suitable temperature for a chicken coop is +10 degrees Celsius. We also need to make a ventilation system so that the air is always fresh.
These birds do not need nests, because they lay their eggs on the floor in some secluded corner. It is necessary to monitor the implementation of masonry. If you find this place, then you do not need to immediately pick up the eggs, because the female will begin to lay them in another place, and you will have to look for it again. On average, 60 eggs can be collected per season.
What do they eat?
Basically, they feed on low-growing plants and insects. For the most part, they get their water from food, as well as morning dew on the grass.
The amazing ability to absorb large amounts of water from food they have due to the fact that they have a very long caecum, uncharacteristic of other species of birds.
Profitable business
Many people think that vulture guinea fowls are not the mostthe best species for breeding at home. However, it is not. In fact, it is a very profitable business.
You will always have a lot of dietary and very unusual tasting meat, as well as a lot of hypoallergenic eggs. If you sell bird eggs that are used to raise young through hatching, you can make $80. This is a pretty profitable business.
Vulture guinea fowl is a beautiful and bright bird with an interesting lifestyle and habits. She can be kept at home to make a good profit.
