Feral chicken explained

Feral chickens are derived from domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) who have returned to the wild. Like the red junglefowl (the closest wild relative of domestic chickens), feral chickens will roost in bushes in order to avoid predators at night. ^[1]

Feral chickens typically form social groups composed of a dominant cockerel, several hens, and subordinate cocks. Sometimes the dominant cockerel is designated by a fight between cocks.^[2]

Locations famous for feral chickens

America

• Fair Oaks, California, United States
• Vieques, Puerto Rico, United States
• Yuba City, California, United States
• Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States
• Key West, Florida, United States
• Gotha, Florida, United States
• Miami, Florida, United States
• Kauai, Hawaii, United States
• Maui, Hawaii, United States
• Los Angeles, California, United States
• St. Augustine, Florida, United States
• San Juan Bautista, California, United States
• Houston, Texas, United States
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• New Orleans, Louisiana, United States^[3]
• Oviedo, Florida, United States
• Ybor City, Florida, United States

Asia

• Jaffa, Tel Aviv

Australia

• (formerly) Galston Gorge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Britain

• Bermuda^[4]
• George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
• Totton, Hampshire, England, Great Britain
• British Virgin Islands
• Chicken Roundabout (A143), Bungay, Suffolk, England, Great Britain^[5]

New Zealand

• Niue
• Port Chalmers, New Zealand

Guam

• Forests of Guam,^[6] although not significantly integrated into the trophic levels in this location^[7]

See also

• Bekisar – a first-generation hybrid offspring of the wild Green junglefowl and domesticated Red junglefowl
• Hollywood Freeway chickens
• Chickens as pets
• Feral pigeon
• Feral parrot

External links

• Chickens are Foragers, Not Fighters, By Karen Davis, PhD, United Poultry Concerns
• Chicken Roundabout!
• Chickens on White Oak Drive – HAIF

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tove Danovitch. Kaui's Feral Chickens Are Out of Control. 24 May 2023 . 24 May 2023.
2. Leonard. Marty L.. Zanette. 1998. Female mate choice and male behaviour in domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour. 56. 1099–1105. 2008-04-25. 10.1006/anbe.1998.0886. 9819324. 5. 45208700 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050515222302/http://publish.uwo.ca/%7Elzanette/Web_papers/Anim_Behav_ML.pdf. 2005-05-15. dead.
3. Web site: Feral chickens running wild in New Orleans. 2021-09-24. www.cbsnews.com. 12 April 2011 . en-US.
4. Web site: Feral Chickens. 2021-09-24. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources. en-GB.
5. Web site: Chicken Roundabout! . 2009-09-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090516061725/http://www.chickenroundabout.co.uk/ . 2009-05-16 . dead .
6. Web site: Nature & Wildlife - Chamorro Culture . Guam Visitors Bureau . . 2018-09-24 . 2021-04-26.
7. Fritts . Thomas H. . Rodda . Gordon H. . The Role of Introduced Species in the Degradation of Island Ecosystems: A Case History of Guam . . . 29 . 1 . 1998 . 0066-4162 . 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.29.1.113 . 113–140 . 59396297.