White-breasted guineafowl explained

The white-breasted guineafowl (Agelastes meleagrides) is a medium-sized, up to 45 cm long, terrestrial bird of the guineafowl family.

Description

It has a black plumage with a small, bare, red head, white breast, long, black tail, greenish-brown bill, and greyish feet. The sexes are similar, although the female is slightly smaller than the male.

Distribution

The white-breasted guineafowl is distributed in subtropical West African forests of Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Although preferring a more dry climate, the species prioritizes forest coverage causing the distribution of the species to have a much broader distribution.

Diet

Its diet consists mainly of seeds, berries, termites, and small animals.

Conservation

Due to ongoing habitat loss and hunting in some areas, the white-breasted guineafowl is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

References

Freeman, B., Jiménez-García, D., Barca, B., & Grainger, M. (2019)^[1]

WALTERT, M., SEIFERT, C., RADL, G., & HOPPE-DOMINIK, B. (2010)^[2]

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet

Notes and References

1. Freeman, B., Jiménez-García, D., Barca, B., & Grainger, M. (2019). Using remotely sensed and climate data to predict the current and potential future geographic distribution of a bird at multiple scales: The case of agelastes meleagrides, a western african forest endemic. Avian Research, 10(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-019-0160-y
2. WALTERT, M., SEIFERT, C., RADL, G., & HOPPE-DOMINIK, B. (2010). Population size and habitat of the white-breasted guineafowl agelastes meleagrides in the taï region, côte d'ivoire. Bird Conservation International; Bird Conservation International, 20(1), 74-83. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270909990189