Game Birds of the World

This distinctive-appearing guineafowl has a limited distribution in eastern Africa, ranging from Somalia and Ethiopia south to Uganda, and usually is found in semi-arid scrub, but at times it enters riverine woodlands or even dense thickets. It is unique among the guineafowl in its general appearance. The bright blue head skin is replaced by a tuft of chestnut feathers on the nape, below which the lower neck and upper breast are covered very long, lance-like feathers that are black, with wide white shaft-stripes and cobalt blue edges. Most of the body is cloaked in black feathers having white vermiculations, but the lower breast and abdomen are also cobalt blue. The species is unusually long-tailed and long-legged, and the birds are more likely to run than to fly unless they are hard-pressed. Foraging is mostly done on the ground, where the birds consume a variety of plant and invertebrate materials. Roosting is done in tall trees, often near water.

The birds occur in flocks for much of the year, but apparently seasonal rains stimulate such groups to become fragmented, and pair-bonding to begin. Courtship behavior has been studied very little, but it is known that males perform a wing-spreading display. Courtship-feeding of the female is very conspicuous, with the male dropping food before the female while fanning his wings. The nest is a simple ground scrape, and 13–15 eggs are laid on successive days. Incubation periods extend from 23–28 days. By ten days of age the chicks have well-developed wing feathers and can probably fly short distances.