The Red Jungle Fowl is similar in many ways to today's domestic chicken. They have long legs that end in two four clawed feet used for scratching. The Red Jungle Fowl has areas of bare skin around his eyes, combs and wattles. They also have spurs on the backs of their legs which are used for fighting. They are not known for their flying ability. They have curved rounded wings that are used for swift flight. Unfortunately they can only fly for very short periods of time.

 

The Red Jungle Fowl is a blue-green, rich dark red, maroon-red, fiery orange and a blackish brown color. Red Jungle Fowl size for a male is 65-75 cm, and the female is 42-46 cm. They eat seeds, insects, fruits, corn, soybean, worms, grass, and different kinds of grains. The Red Jungle Fowl gets eaten by foxes, weasels, leopards, occasionally dogs, and man. It evades being eaten by running away, using camouflage, or they use the spurs on their lower legs to fight competitors.

 

Red Jungle Fowl are typically found in the intertidal zone at the water's edge at a mean distance from sea level of -8 meters (-26 feet).But usually males live in trees at night and females nest on the ground. The female usually lay almost a dozen eggs, which hatch after 18 to 20 days. The eggs are light tan in color with dark yokes and thick membranes. Newborns are up and walking soon after birth, and are fully feathered by 4 or 5 weeks, and can reproduce by five months. They may live up to ten years.

 

Red Jungle Fowl are found world wide. They have a population of more than 24 billion. They are a very common sight, but are shrinking in population. They are shrinking because they are being over hunted.  However, we see many throughout Hanapepe Valley, at Salt Pond Beach, and at many other nearby locations.

What stood out as I read about Red Jungle fowls was their radiant colors, how they live at waters edge or in trees, and how newborns are up and walking soon after birth.

 

Author: Tawny Y.

Published: 2/10/10

 

Internet Sources:

http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/p/pincollector1/559.jpg

http://www.arkive.org/red-junglefowl/gallus-gallus/info.html

 

Photo Credit: James Orr, pbase.com