Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) in Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, India. This is the progenitor of the domestic chicken or fowl. The birds are scrabbling around in a patch of Ageratum or Floss flower.
The tropical member of the Pheasant family The Red Junglefowl is also known as Gallis gallus. They are considered as the ancestors of the domestic chicken with some hybridization with the Grey Junglefowl. The range of The Junglefowl is from Northeast India eastwards across southern China and down into Malaysia. Their flight is restricted to reaching their roosting areas at sunset in trees or other higher safe places which are free from predator threats or dangers. They generally feed on insects, seeds and fruits including those that are cultivated such as those of the oil palm hence are omnivorous.
The males have a very peculiar food related performance which is displayed upon finding food in the presence of a female. This display involves coaxing, cluck like calls and eye catching bobbing and twitching motions of the head and neck. The male repeatedly picks up and drops the food item with his beak while the display. At the end the female either taeks the food item from the ground or directly from the male's beak which later proceeds to copulation and more offspring. Purebred Red Junlglefowl is facing serious threats of extinction because of genetic pollution which is occurring at the edge of forests where domesticated free ranging chickens are commonly kept in bordering villages and towns.
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