Fun Ceylon Junglefowl Facts For Kids
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The Ceylon junglefowl, Gallus lafayettii, is also commonly known as the Sri Lankan junglefowl and Sri Lanka junglefowl, as well as Lafayette's junglefowl.
This species is also known as 'Coq de Lafayette' in French. These birds are endemic to Sri Lanka, meaning that these stunning Sri Lankan birds of the family Phasianidae, order Galliformes, and genus Gallus are found only in one place in the whole world: Sri Lanka.
This species of birds has a spectacular multi-colored appearance and exhibits sexual dimorphism strongly.
Male Sri Lankan junglefowl birds are much more likely to catch your eye than female ones, as they have a vibrant plumage, a larger comb, and a larger wattle, whereas a female bird's plumage is dull and brown colored, perhaps to keep them camouflaged when laying eggs.
Males are also significantly larger than females with a red-orange vibrant plumage along with a darkish purple or black-colored tail and wings.
Another bold characteristic of the male Sri Lanka junglefowl, Gallus lafayettii, is that it has beautiful golden mane feathers from its head to its spine's base.
Its comb is red dominantly but has a center that is yellow-colored. These stunning birds are found inhabiting a forest or a scrub habitat and the conservation status of these Sri Lankan birds is Least Concern.
If you find these facts captivating, we suggest you read on to get to know this species better!
If reading these amazing facts about the Ceylon junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) keeps you captivated, then you will definitely love to read about the Eurasian collared dove and the laughing kookaburra too.
Ceylon Junglefowl Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Ceylon junglefowl?
The Ceylon junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is a bird that is commonly referred to as the Sri Lankan junglefowl, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Coq de Lafayette, and Lafayette's junglefowl. This species is similar to the G. gallus, commonly called the red junglefowl (ancestors of the domestic chicken).
These birds are quite colorful and have a wide variety of colors on their plumage, like yellow, red, black, brown, golden, and purple.
Males and females of the Ceylon junglefowl species differ in length and weight greatly. They belong to the family Phasianidae, genus Gallus, and the order Galliformes.
What class of animal does a Ceylon junglefowl belong to?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) belongs to the class of Aves. This species of bird is a colorful member of the family Phasianidae, genus Gallus, and the order Galliformes.
How many Ceylon junglefowls are there in the world?
The population size of the Sri Lanka junglefowl, (Gallus lafayettii) hasn't been evaluated yet but it is assumed that there are more than 10,000 birds of this species. However, we do know that their population trend is stable. This species of bird is endemic to Sri Lanka and is only found in this country.
Where does a Ceylon junglefowl live?
A Sri Lanka junglefowl is a terrestrial bird that inhabits forests and scrubs, just like flycatcher birds. These birds are found in Sri Lanka only, in locations like Sinharaja, Yala, and Kitulgala.
What is a Ceylon junglefowl's habitat?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) species resides at an elevation level of 6561 ft (2000 m) above sea level. This bird can be spotted in lowland as well as highland areas of Sri Lanka.
Who do Ceylon junglefowl live with?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) bird is a terrestrial species and birds of this species are observed in small flocks or pairs.
How long does a Ceylon junglefowl live?
The life expectancy of the Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is not yet evaluated. However, the red junglefowl, which is considered to be related to this bird, has a life expectancy of 12-14 years, which is similar to that of the cockatiel bird in the wild.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding season of the Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) can range from February to May, but this can extend to August sometimes in Sri Lanka. A female Sri Lanka junglefowl bird constructs a nest on the ground among bushes and plants or hidden under logs.
This clever bird has also been observed to reuse old nests of crows and squirrels.
The female Sri Lanka junglefowl bird lays two to four eggs on average. These eggs are incubated for three weeks approximately.
During this time, the male Sri Lanka junglefowl protects the nest and also later participates in chick-rearing.
Chicks of the Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) are born at an advanced stage and learn to forage quite quickly. A fascinating fact about the mother is that she makes alarm calls when she feels her chicks are in danger, in response to which, the Ceylon junglefowl chicks take shelter behind plants and bushes quickly.
What is their conservation status?
This species has a small geographic range, but even then they do not have the size criterion to be classified as Vulnerable. The extent of occurrence of the Ceylon junglefowl is 24247 sq mi (62,799.4 sq km).
Neither is their range size declining nor is the quality of their habitat. The population trend of the Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is currently stable.
Ceylon Junglefowl Fun Facts
What do Ceylon junglefowls look like?
These magnificent birds are related to the red junglefowl (ancestors of the domestic chicken) from whom they separated about 2.8 million years ago.
This Sri Lanka junglefowl species exhibits sexual dimorphism strongly as a male Sri Lanka junglefowl is much larger than a female Sri Lanka junglefowl. The male Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is quite muscular and its length ranges anywhere between 26-28 in (66-71 cm) whereas the female is much smaller being only 14 in (35.5 cm) long.
The male also possesses a more vibrant plumage with a bigger comb and wattle.
The plumage of the male Sri Lanka junglefowl is orange-reddish with dark-purple or black-colored wings and tail, whereas females are a dull brown color, with a white-colored patterned breast and belly.
The mane's feathers from the head towards the spine's base are golden in color, with the face having reddish-colored wattles, skin, and comb, which also has a yellow-colored center.
A male Sri Lanka junglefowl weighs between 1.7-2.5 lb (790-1140 g), whereas a female Sri Lanka junglefowl weighs between 1-1.4 lb (510–645 g).
How cute are they?
These Sri Lankan birds are quite stunning in appearance, especially when males are exhibiting their colorful plumage.
How do they communicate?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) produces calls of short duration while it forages that sound like 'kreu-kreu-kreuu'. Similar to a rooster, they emit high-pitched sounds at dawn that sound like 'cor-cor-choww'.
Females of this Sri Lankan species make 'kwickuck-kwikukkukk' sounds. During the breeding season, male birds of this Sri Lankan species are significantly more vocal, producing a variety of sounds along with displays.
How big is a Ceylon junglefowl?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) bird's length range is 14-28 in (35.5-71 cm). They can grow as long as the tawny eagle.
How fast can a Ceylon junglefowl fly?
These birds are terrestrial and fly away to trees for protection only when startled. They can fly short as well as long distances to search for food. However, their exact speed has not been evaluated yet.
How much does a Ceylon junglefowl weigh?
A Ceylon junglefowl weighs between 1-2.5 lb (510-1140 g).
What are their male and female names of the species?
A male Ceylon junglefowl is referred to as a 'cock', and a female is referred to as a 'hen'.
What would you call a baby Ceylon junglefowl?
A baby Ceylon junglefowl is called a 'chick'.
What do they eat?
These Sri Lankan birds mainly feed upon seeds, fruit, and insects. The predators of these birds are not yet recognized, however, we do know that their relatives, the red junglefowl are preyed upon by leopard cats and even consumed by humans.
Are they dangerous?
The coq de Lafayette (French common name) is not dangerous to people.
Would they make a good pet?
The Ceylon junglefowl is known to run away from people as it is quite shy. They won't make a good pet.
Did you know...
Males of the Ceylon junglefowl species have been observed to flap their dark-colored wings to show others that they have arrived.
What is the national bird of Sri Lanka?
The Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) is the magnificent national bird of Sri Lanka.
How many eggs does a junglefowl lay?
Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayettii) females breed with an alpha male and lay two to four eggs that are cream-colored, with a yellow or pink tint and purple or brown spots. The eggs can be reddish in color too.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other related birds from our strawberry finch facts and northern bobwhite facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable ceylon junglefowl coloring pages.
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