Jungle Fowl

The Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Gallus Lafayetii, is a member of the pheasant family which is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a close relative of the Indian Red Jungle fowl, Gallus Gallus, the wild Jungle fowl from which the chicken was domesticated. These are large birds, with colorful male plumage, but are sometimes difficult to see in the denser woodlands. It is common in forest and scrub habitats, and can usually be seen at sites such as Kitulgala, Yala and Sinharaja. This is one of four species of bird in the Genus Gallus. It is a ground nesting bird, which lays 2 - 4 eggs in a nest. There are 4 species of Gallus so far recorded from Asia. The Red Jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), the Grey Jungle fowl (Gallus sonneratii), the Green Jungle fowl (Gallus varius) and the Sri Lankan Jungle fowl (Gallus lafeyetii). The Sri Lanka Jungle fowl is endemic to Sri Lanka, and is not found anywhere else in the world. It spends its life in forest or its outskirts, never venturing far from cover, though, especially in wet weather, it likes to frequent open places, such as roadsides or glades. The food of the "Wali Kukula" consists of grain, weed seeds, berries, various succulent leaves and buds, and a large proportion of small animals, such as crickets, centipedes and termites. The main breeding season is in the first quarter of the year, but often a second clutch is laid in August to September, and breeding may go on throughout the year. The nest is often a shallow scrape in the ground, concealed by herbage, at the foot of a tree or beside a dead log. The eggs number two to four, they are creamy white, some very finely peppered, other more boldly but sparingly speckled with brown and they measure about 48 × 35 mm.

Jungle Fowl (Male)

Jungle Fowl (Female)