Ceylon junglefowl, Lafayette's junglefowl
The Sri Lankan junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the Red junglefowljunglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe male Sri Lankan junglefowl is much larger than the female, with more vivid plumage and a highly exaggerated wattle and comb. The male has orange-red body plumage and dark purple to black wings and tail. The feathers of the mane descending from head to base of the spine are golden, and the face has bare red skin and wattles. The comb is red with a yellow center. The male does not possess an eclipse plumage. The female has dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and breast, ideal camouflage for a nesting bird.
These birds are native to Sri Lanka, an island country in South Asia. They inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and scrub habitats, and are commonly spotted at sites such as Kitulgala, Yala, and Sinharaja. They also frequently visit cultivated areas.
Sri Lankan junglefowl are primarily terrestrial. They are typically active in the morning and in the evening and spend most of their time foraging for food. If disturbed Sri Lankan junglefowl take off to reach some cover for protection. They usually fly short distances but can fly longer distances in search of better food resources. At night these birds roost up in trees. They can roost singly, in pairs, or in small family groups. Sri Lankan junglefowl communicate with each other vocally. While foraging on the ground, the male utters some short calls ‘kreeu, kreeu, kreeuu’. It also utters high-pitched rooster-like crow ‘cor-cor-chow’ at dawn, often from a tree branch. The female gives some ‘kwikkuk, kwikkukkuk’. The male is more vocal during the breeding season with advertising calls and various sounds during displays, as well as the female with rivals and in territorial defense.
Sri Lankan junglefowl are herbivores (granivores, frugivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They feed on various seeds, grain, berries, fallen fruit, and insects.
The mating system of this species is best described as facultative polyandry; a single female is typically linked with 2 or 3 males that form a pride of sorts. These males are likely to be siblings. The female pairs with the alpha male of the pride. The female lays 2-4 eggs in a nest, either on the forest floor in steep hill country or in the abandoned nests of other birds and squirrels. Her eggs are highly variable in color, but generally are cream with a yellow or pink tint. Purple or brownish spots are common. Occasionally, a female produces red eggs or blotched eggs. The female incubates her eggs, while the alpha male guards her nest from a nearby perch during the nesting season. The beta males remain in close proximity, and guard the nesting territory from intruders or potential predators. The incubation period may be as short as 20 days. The chicks are precocial and soon after hatching are able to follow their mother in search of food.
Sri Lankan junglefowl don’t face any major threats at present.
According to IUCN Red List, the Sri Lankan junglefowl is widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...