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Red junglefowl
The red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), also known as the Indian red junglefowl (and formerly the bankiva or bankiva-fowl), is a species of tropical, galliform bird in the phasianid family, found across much of Southeast and parts of South Asia.
The red junglefowl was the primary species to give rise to today's many breeds of domesticated chicken (G. g. domesticus). Lesser contributions came from the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii), Sri Lankan junglefowl (G. lafayettii) and the Javanese green junglefowl (G. varius). Whole genome sequencing has revealed that the chicken was first domesticated from red junglefowl ca. 8,000 years ago, with this domestication event involving multiple maternal origins.
The domesticated variant is raised worldwide by humans in their tens of billions for their meat, eggs, colourful plumage and companionship. The wild form of G. gallus is sometimes used in zoos, parks or botanical gardens as a form of pest control, similarly to—and often kept with—the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) or the helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris).
The red junglefowl was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Phasianus gallus. Linnaeus specified the type locality as "India orientali" but this has been restricted to the island of Pulo Condor (Côn Đảo) off the coast of Vietnam. The red junglefowl is now one of the four species placed in the genus Gallus that was introduced in 1760 by Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The word gallus is Latin for a farmyard cockerel.
Five subspecies of G. gallus are recognised:
The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Males are referred to as "roosters", while females are referred to as "hens". Compared with the domestic chicken, the red junglefowl has a much smaller body mass. The roosters are significantly larger than the hens (males weigh around 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb), while females weigh around 1 kilogram (2.2 lb)).
The plumage of the male is much brighter in colouration than that of the female, which is a drab colour and more suitable for camouflage. The mantle (neck and back) of the rooster typically has long, golden hackle feathers. The tail consists of 14 iridescent feathers that shimmer with blue, purple, and green in direct light. Some of these tail feathers are long and curved, and can grow up to 28 centimetres (11 in) in length. The whole bird may be as long as 70 centimetres (28 in). Hens lack the long, ornate feathers that are a prominent feature of the roosters.
The colouration of the males varies somewhat, depending on the subspecies. For example, some have golden yellow covert feathers from the neck to the lower back with greenish-black tail feathers, while others have red with black tails.
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Red junglefowl
The red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), also known as the Indian red junglefowl (and formerly the bankiva or bankiva-fowl), is a species of tropical, galliform bird in the phasianid family, found across much of Southeast and parts of South Asia.
The red junglefowl was the primary species to give rise to today's many breeds of domesticated chicken (G. g. domesticus). Lesser contributions came from the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii), Sri Lankan junglefowl (G. lafayettii) and the Javanese green junglefowl (G. varius). Whole genome sequencing has revealed that the chicken was first domesticated from red junglefowl ca. 8,000 years ago, with this domestication event involving multiple maternal origins.
The domesticated variant is raised worldwide by humans in their tens of billions for their meat, eggs, colourful plumage and companionship. The wild form of G. gallus is sometimes used in zoos, parks or botanical gardens as a form of pest control, similarly to—and often kept with—the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) or the helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris).
The red junglefowl was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Phasianus gallus. Linnaeus specified the type locality as "India orientali" but this has been restricted to the island of Pulo Condor (Côn Đảo) off the coast of Vietnam. The red junglefowl is now one of the four species placed in the genus Gallus that was introduced in 1760 by Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The word gallus is Latin for a farmyard cockerel.
Five subspecies of G. gallus are recognised:
The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Males are referred to as "roosters", while females are referred to as "hens". Compared with the domestic chicken, the red junglefowl has a much smaller body mass. The roosters are significantly larger than the hens (males weigh around 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb), while females weigh around 1 kilogram (2.2 lb)).
The plumage of the male is much brighter in colouration than that of the female, which is a drab colour and more suitable for camouflage. The mantle (neck and back) of the rooster typically has long, golden hackle feathers. The tail consists of 14 iridescent feathers that shimmer with blue, purple, and green in direct light. Some of these tail feathers are long and curved, and can grow up to 28 centimetres (11 in) in length. The whole bird may be as long as 70 centimetres (28 in). Hens lack the long, ornate feathers that are a prominent feature of the roosters.
The colouration of the males varies somewhat, depending on the subspecies. For example, some have golden yellow covert feathers from the neck to the lower back with greenish-black tail feathers, while others have red with black tails.