Vulture guinea fowl
| Vulture guinea fowl | ||||||||||
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Vulture guinea fowl ( Acryllium vulturinum ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Acryllium vulturinum | ||||||||||
| ( Hardwicke , 1834) |
The vulture guinea fowl ( Acryllium vulturinum ) is a ground-dwelling bird in the guinea fowl family . It owes its name to the vulture-like head shape .
description
The fletching of the chest is cobalt blue, the plumage of the rest of the body black with fine white lines and spots. The animal becomes about 61 to 71 centimeters tall and weighs around 500 grams. The sexes can hardly be distinguished from the outside.
Distribution and way of life
The species lives in the steppes and open plains of East Africa in the states of Ethiopia , Somalia , Uganda , Tanzania and Kenya . The species is listed in the IUCN Red List . The bird feeds on flowers , seeds , grasshoppers , snails and insects . The moisture found in the food is usually sufficient for the animals to meet their fluid requirements. The clutch contains between 4 and 15 cream-colored eggs . The female incubates the clutch for about 24 to 28 days.
research
Despite their rather small brain, vulture guinea fowl form an extremely complex social structure with several levels for birds .
literature
- Hans von Boetticher: Pheasants, peacocks, guinea fowl and other wild fowl , Oertel & Spörer, 11th edition, 2005, ISBN 3-88627-528-0
swell
- ↑ Acryllium vulturinum in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2011th
- ^ Lars Fischer: Social behavior: primitive birds form complex societies. In: Spektrum.de. November 5, 2019, accessed November 5, 2019 .
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Acryllium vulturinum in the Internet Bird Collection