Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
Today I should have stayed in bed instead of going for a walk with the camera. I managed to capture the feet of some birds and the bodies of others, and very few good photos… however I did get a few presentable ones of the Helmet Guineafowl… but I should still have stayed in bed….
Our Bush Chicken is common throughout South Africa, and some run around peoples houses as pets or domesticate chickens… they are fairly noisy when they want to be… they always seem to be in flocks… and when the one starts to make a noise the others all join in..
I think this bird has been exported half over the world. So common here I feel I’m posting photos of chickens…
Looks more like scales than feathers…..
As they scratch away looking for food …..
Today is just not a good day for photos… I feel a bit like a total beginner as though I’ve forgotten all that I have as yet not learnt…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
No you should not have stayed in bed, these shots are gorgeous. The closeup shots are amazing! The many dots on their feathers, their colored faces and their camouflage are amazing! Keep shooting!
They’re pretty, but geez – they make a real racket when they team up and start stomping around together! They may be noisier than hadedas…maybe.
Oh I do agree with you on that point… thank you…
…. 🙂 I love dot polka 🙂 I haven’t seen this one before, I loved it. Thanks and Love, nia
Thanks Nia… so common here, I’m surprised you’ve never seen it before…
Apparently, this was first introduced to the UK as a game bird, but now considered a hybrid between chicken and game bird.
They have been moved to so many countries… for just such a purpose… and end up as pets…
Fascinating creatures. I think these shots are great. Hope you’re feeling better about photography soon. I know what it’s like, some days I just can’t get any nice results.
Yep the next day things were back to normal… just an off day where I think my heart was actually not completely in it…
Hey, they might look like chickens to you, but they’re fascinating to me. The helmet doesn’t look real. And the feathers are incredible. Your photos show them really well so I can see how very odd they are. It would be hard to believe this chicken has feathers! I would really like to see one of these guys. They look nothing like the guineas here in the US. Ours are just Plain Janes compared to these.
Congratulations on the future son-in-law. I assume you said “Yes”. 😉
I said yes to the SiL quite a few years ago… couldn’t keep a straight face when I said no… the more comments I get on this bird the more I realise that maybe I must capture him more often… just feels so common to me living here, where you almost see them around every corner…
I think the pics are beautiful, Bulldog, I can also see a dust-cloud under the Guineafowl’s foot. It’s a very beautiful chick, with a lovely face 🙂
Thank you… tried to capture the scratch…
Cool feathers!
Thanks … actually it is quite a well camouflaged bird in the bush…
Well, Bulldog – I’m disappointed in you! Here you are, saying you didn’t capture the things you hoped to – which is disappointing, I’ll agree, but since they were animals or birds you encounter on your walks, presumably you’ll get other chances. It’s difficult to second guess where an animal is going to move to, when it’s going to move, or take flight because of your presence, and without the prescience of the animals, you’re going to have a few misses, surely?
In any case, just because that gorgeous speckled hen is common, doesn’t make her any less attractive as a subject for study – and what a terrific study you’ve given us. Her feathers, and the pattern of their layering – tremendous, and her face and mohawk … I enjoyed the fruits of your walk very much. 🙂
Well I am glad you enjoyed the post .. not all was lost, but for me that normally can second guess most of the animals and birds, was not in the right place yesterday.. bad shot taking, stupidity in composition all completely disappointing as my mind was just not on my normal hobby and patience seemed to have been left behind at home… still the walk did me the world of good and I got to meet another nature lover for a really good walk and talk… however the Guineafowl have never been an attraction to me to photograph.. as they seldom stand still… and seem so common, but they few I posted weren’t too bad and at least gave me something to post…
Molto belle. Una serie di scatti splendida.
Ciao Pat
Thanks Patrizia… glad you loved them…
Love your shots, Bulldog. Actually these birds are so crafty in the sense that people love painting them or have them as decorations on aprons and so on – which you probably know and have seen already. I love them 🙂
Linda had a shop in Lydenburg called the Guineafowl, where she sold pillows, cushions, table cloths and all that such stuff that a team of ladies in Mashishing made for her… they sold like hot cakes to the tourists as they just loved the Guineafowl crocheted on the items… maybe that’s why I find them so common…
Ah, that is exactly what I mean. People love them, I have also used them on crafts and such 🙂
yey – you are human afterall!!! Seriously though – they are great don’t know what you’re going on about. Although do understand as out with hubby today and I said “how did the photos come out” – ok he says…… must be one of those days.
Thanks and glad it happens to others… it was a day of perfectly focused feet, headless birds and even in some cases… complete misses… LOL but the walk was enjoyable, so not a total loss….
Given I have never seen this bird, I’m certainly glad you decided to get out of bed and step behind the lens. 🙂
Thanks LuAnn… these at least co-operated and made it easy… you should see how many headless, bodyless and just legs I managed to capture..then you’d understand why I say I should have stayed in bed… or maybe not stayed in bed but left the camera at home…
Wow! These are stunning shots bulldog and I love guinea fowls! The closeup shots are amazing! They always amaze me with all those dots on their feathers and the coloured faces. Too cute! Thanks for sharing my friend. These shots were worth it! 😀 *hugs*
Thanks Sonel… I just so want more today than what I captured… kept taking photos of headless birds and some even only managing to get the feet in the frame… I blame the camera of course, couldn’t be me..LOL
Of course it was just the camera. Silly thing! 😉
Not at all, Rob! The everyday and ordinary is a welcome sight–really, all birds and animals should be celebrated as extraordinary, and your photos are great. I really like the closeup of the feathers. I do think guinea fowl are somewhat common all over the world, but I’ve never heard the term “bush chickens.” Nor have I thought of them as a pet…I’d sign up for one! 🙂
Thank you… they are just so common here that one sees them almost as chickens, and tend to ignore them in the wild… I know quite a few people that have them roaming free in their gardens… a good insect, tick and snail killer… just the scratch around a lot and love making dust bath beds.. I just find them fairly noisy in the towns… lovely to here in the bush at sunrise though…
GET THE MAN SOME CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You ARE feeling low today..the images are great! Go curl up under the covers until you get our usual Bulldog back…..silly boy…
Not feeling bad at all , just damn frustrated when the camera plays up like it did today… maybe the problem was too much chocolate… my anticipating what the birds were going to do next was way off and I managed to take more legs and headless birds than ever before… had a good 5 k walk and met another nature lover to talk to .. so not a bad day after all… just a bad camera day…
My day is a mixed bag…..just had to kill an aggressive snake….eeeeeeeeekkkk….ickkkkkkkk…
But on the other hand..a young man is coming to ask for our daughter’s hand in marriage tonight….:)
Are you going to give him a hard time… my son in law came to ask and I said no, but couldn’t keep a straight face…
lololololololol…..We didn’t give him a hard time….I can just imagine you doing that!
Very interesting birds. Love the pattern on the body.
They do have the strangest almost scale look about them…
can’t see nuffink wrong with your photos! Why should you have stayedi in bed? I hope you’re not ill! Take care of you!!
Definitely not ill… just hate it when the photos just go wrong… I managed to capture birds without heads… even one that had no body only captured the legs… focus all over the place, just a bad camera day.. but had a wonderful walk and found another nature lover to talk to.. camera was just showing me who’s the Boss… damn thing…
heh 🙂 I think we all have days like that!
I read on Wikipedia that guinea fowl eat ticks. Hardly any other animal will do that and nothing short of DDT will kill ticks, so let’s hear it for guinea fowl.Ya-a-a-a-a-ay!
Yes that is part of their diet… but here we have the tick birds that do it as well and the cattle egret for that matter…
Oh that’s good to know. I guess the reason Wikipedia mentioned the guinea fowl is that they can be domesticated and kept around just like chickens, whereas tick birds and cattle egrets would do their own thing and live where they please.
The Guinea fowl is a good all round insect and grub eater.. so snails etc don’t stand a chance… lots of people have them roaming free in their gardens…
Sometimes it’s good to spend extra time in bed. That said, I don’t see anything wrong with your photos…..Wishing you a great day 🙂
Thanks Ingrid… just was not in the mood for photos.. enjoyed the walk though…
They’re not so bad! They do look like chickens though! Hope you feel more yourself tomorrow!
xo
Diana
Thanks Diana.. not feeling sick just a bit like an idiot with a camera in my hand… had a good walk though…
haha we all have OFF days. The other day I kept bumping into things like door frames – honestly I’m not that wide!
I think they are quite good, and I think you are entirely too hard on yourself (trust me, I am the queen of that). I love my chickens here. They are so sweet and more like pets than anything else. I would love to see a few of these running around my property! Thank you, Bulldog!! As always, very enjoyable!! 😀
Thank you Skye… not the best of photos today… took 100 odd and can only use about 10… something wrong with the eye or head… but I did enjoy the walk…
Well, to an amateur like me, they look great….I am sure most will agree with me here. So, you are totally outnumbered, Friend!! I am glad you enjoyed your walk. 😀
Pictures of chickens can still be attractive!
Personally, I wouldn’t mind having some of those as domestic hangers-on. The eggs are eggdible on a two-to-one hen egg basis, I believe.
Thanks Col… yes their eggs are edible.. just very rich in taste… or should I say more wild tasting…
Beautiful!!!!
Thanks Rexlin… you are all being far to kind…