Red junglefowl in Bandhavgarh. Junglefowl are the four living species of bird from the genus Gallus in the Gallinaceous bird order, which occur in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
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.
These are large birds, with colourful male plumage, but are nevertheless difficult to see in the dense vegetation they inhabit.
As with many birds in the pheasant family, the male takes no part in the incubation of the egg or rearing of the precocial young. These duties are performed by the drab and well-camouflaged female.
The junglefowl are seed-eaters, but insects are also taken, particularly by the young birds.
One of the species in this genus, the Red Junglefowl, is of historical importance as the likely ancestor of the domesticated chicken, although it has been suggested the Grey Junglefowl was also involved.
The Sri Lanka Junglefowl is the National Bird of Sri Lanka.
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