Red Junglefowl

The red junglefowl is the wild ancestor of the domestic chicken: whole-genome studies show chickens were first domesticated from it around 8,000 years ago, with smaller contributions from the grey, Sri Lankan and green junglefowl. Males are much larger and brighter than females, weighing about 1.5kg against about 1kg, with long golden hackles on the neck and back and a tail of 14 iridescent blue, purple and green feathers, some up to 28cm long. Hens are drab and well camouflaged and lack the ornate plumes (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is far shyer of people than the farmyard chicken. Only the hens care for the eggs and chicks. Males crow to attract mates and warn off rivals, with a shorter call than a domestic rooster's that cuts off abruptly, and within a flock the top-ranking cock crows first, followed by the others in order of rank. Birds dust-bathe regularly to keep their plumage in condition. In India it is a resident forest bird; SoIB 2023 finds its current trend stable and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).