Details
Numida meleagris
A spotted ground bird of African savannas, recognized by its bare head and helmet-like bony casque.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Lives in savannas, grasslands, open woodland, and farmland edges, favoring open areas with cover and access to water.
The rounded body is dark gray-black with fine white spots. The bare head has pale blue skin and a hard casque.
Large flocks walk across the ground and often run from danger before flying. At night they roost in trees.
Seeds, fruit, grass shoots, insects, ticks, and small invertebrates are eaten.
Eggs are laid in a shallow ground scrape. Chicks walk soon after hatching and forage with the group.
Also domesticated, wild birds rely on loud alarm calls and flocking behavior to detect predators.
