The crested guineafowl ( Guttera pucherani ), also known as the eastern crested guineafowl, is a galliform bird of the family Numididae, described by Hartlaub in 1860.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Galliformes |
| Family | Numididae |
| Genus | Guttera |
| Species | Guttera pucherani |
The crested guineafowl (Guttera pucherani), also known as the eastern crested guineafowl, is a galliform bird of the family Numididae, described by Hartlaub in 1860. Its plumage is black with abundant rounded white spots all over the body, and it is distinguished from other guineafowl by a striking tuft of curly black feathers on top of the head, the shape of which varies according to the subspecies. It measures around 50 cm in length and weighs between 721 and 1,543 g.
It is found in eastern Africa, from Somalia to Tanzania (including Zanzibar and Tumbatu Island) and the south of the continent, where it occupies open forest, wooded savannas and mosaics of forest and scrub.
It forages on the ground, scratching with its feet, and feeds mainly on seeds, berries, other plant parts, insects and small invertebrates.
It is a monogamous bird that probably forms long-lasting pair bonds; mutual feeding is common during courtship, and the male may run several metres towards the female to offer her food. The nest is a small depression hidden among tall grass or under bushes, where she lays four to five whitish to cream-coloured eggs.
Recent taxonomic studies (2022) have reorganised the group of crested guineafowl into three distinct species; the populations formerly considered the subspecies edouardi and barbara are now classified as a separate species, the southern crested guineafowl.
