Combed chickens
Combed chickens | ||||||||
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![]() Distribution area of the comb chicken |
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Systematics | ||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||
Gallus | ||||||||
Brisson , 1760 |
The comb chickens ( Gallus ) form a genus of chicken birds with four species .
Distribution and Biology
- distribution
Comb chickens are represented in tropical Asia. They occur there from Sri Lanka and India via Myanmar, southern China to Sumatra and Java. They inhabit forests with dense undergrowth or bamboo thickets and also live near human settlements . Their height distribution reaches up to 2000 meters. Combed chickens are the ancestors of domestic chickens .
- biology
Combhunners have 14 to 16 tail feathers that are arranged like a roof. In the rooster, the middle tail feather is elongated and sickle-shaped. The back and rump feathers are lengthened to decorative feathers. Roosters have a comb on the top and one or two bare wattles. The face is not feathered. They have a long, sharp spur on their legs . The hens of the respective species are each smaller than the rooster and have an inconspicuous colored plumage. They lack the crest, wattles, and spurs.
species
Bankiva chicken
( Gallus gallus )Sonneratii
( Gallus sonneratii )Ceylon chicken
( Gallus lafayettei )Fork-tailed chicken
( Gallus varius )
See also
literature
- W. Grummt , H. Strehlow (Ed.): Zoo animal keeping birds. Verlag Harri Deutsch, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-8171-1636-2 .
- Publisher: Forshaw, Joseph: Encyclopedia of Birds , 1999 - ISBN 3-8289-1557-4