By Vinuri Randhula Silva,
The vulturine guinea fowl is a large (61–71
centimetres (24–28 in)) bird with a round body and small head. It has a
longer wings, neck, legs and tail than other guinea fowl. The adult has a bare
blue face and black neck, and although all other guinea fowl have unfeathered
heads, this species looks particularly like a vulture because of the long bare neck and head.
The slim neck projects from a cape of long,
glossy, blue and white hackles. The breast is cobalt blue, and the rest of the
body plumage is black, finely spangled with white. The wings are short and
rounded, and the tail is longer than others in the family Numididae.
The sexes are similar, although the female is usually slightly smaller than the male and with smaller tarsal spurs. Young birds are mainly grey-brown, with a duller blue breast and short hackles.
It breeds in dry and open habitats with
scattered bushes and trees, such as savannah or grassland. It usually lays 4–8
cream-coloured eggs in a well-hidden grass-lined scrape.
Reference
Bird Life International (2016). "Acryllium
vulturinum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22679572A92819650. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679572A92819650.en. Retrieved 19
November 2021.
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