The Crested Guinea Fowl has become quite popular in aviculture. Just one look at this unique bird will show you why!

In the wild, Crested Guinea Fowl forage for food on the ground. They consume insects, mostly, and also eat bits of vegetation. Normally, Crested Guinea Fowl travel in flocks of about 20, though in winter they form breeding pairs and nest before rejoining the flock in warmer months. Because they are not particularly swift in flight, when threatened, the Crested Guinea Fowl will kick rather than take to the air. However, many will fly into trees when disturbed. Crested Guinea Fowl may be a bit more difficult to handle than other domestic birds because of their shyness. They are not known for docility, although they are not difficult to keep in groups and are often less noisy than other birds. Crested Guinea Fowl do make a soft noise when feeding that sounds like chuckling. Their alarm call, however, which is rarely heard, is loud and rattling.

The feathers on the crowns of Crested Guinea Fowl are curly and dark in color. Their bodies are chestnut or dark grayish brown and are speckled with white spots outlined in black. Their bodies are rather large and plump in appearance, while their heads and necks are small by comparison. The eyes, chin, throat, and the patch of bare skin behind the crown are all red. The neck is bare also, but is blue in color, as is all other bare skin on the bird. Usually the primary flight feathers have white spots and white edges, and the secondary flight feathers also show a broad white band along their edges. If you were to pluck a single feather from a Crested Guinea Fowl, you could see that half of the feather is striped, while the other half is solid brown dotted with white.

Although Crested Guinea Fowl are often bred in captivity and have made popular birds, there are still many living in a wild state. These birds are found on the African islands of Zanzibar and Tumbatu. They also live on continental Africa, living in Kenya, southern Somalia, and northeastern Tanzania.

Because of their somewhat intractable nature, Crested Guinea Fowl may do best when housed in mated pairs, although some will do well when kept in groups. Some may even get along with other species of birds. Crested Guinea Fowl are social birds, and should not be kept singly. A good diet for a Crested Guinea Fowl often consists of chicken crumbles supplemented with a good amount of fresh greens. Fruit, crickets, and superworms should also form a small part of the diet. As a treat, low fat dog food can be offered.

Crested Guinea Fowl are monogamous. The mating season is April through December, depending on location. Although ten eggs may be laid, usually a Crested Guinea Fowl's clutch contains three or four cream colored eggs dotted with brown speckles. Crested Guinea Fowl chicks are different in appearance than adults, with browner coloration and white stripes over their necks. Their heads are striped brown and black with a wide central stripe over the crown.