Grey Jungle Fowl or Gallus sonneratii
Kerala is home to an amazing variety of birds, and it is estimated that there are about 500 winged friends adding to the diversity of the fauna here. Of these, 16 species are endemic to the Western Ghat region.
Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii), a common bird of the forests of Southern India, is a wild relative of the domestic fowl. It is the only junglefowl in Kerala found mostly near bamboo thickets.
The comb of male Grey Junglefowl is red and dented, similar to that of the Red Junglefowl. The long neck hackles are dark grey to black with white and yellow bars. These are lost each summer during the eclipse. The back and rump feathers are greyish-black with white streaks. The tail is black with a purple sheen.
In females, the head is brown with light streaks on the forehead. The comb is very small and is dull red. The back, rump and wings are mottled brown and black; the breast is white, abdomen light buff and the flanks light brown. Male and females have a length of 75 and 38 centimetres respectively.
These birds are more heard than seen in forests. Their loud calls can be heard during the early morning and dusk. They forage for insects and worms by scratching on leaf-litter. During nights, they roost on branches of trees. Grey Junglefowls are now grown for poultry purposes too.
Courtesy: http://birdwingtours.com/
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