Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) [XC881985]
by Gabriel A. Jamie from Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone (call)
Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) [XC811006]
by Brendan Sloan from Kakamega Forest Reserve, Kenya (song)
Nest
A well-hidden scrape in long grass or under a bush.
Eggs (Guide)
Clutch Size: 4 - 5
Color: white to buff
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Plumed Guineafowl (Guttera plumifera).
Formerly considered to constitute two separate species, with recognition of G. edouardi (Crested Guineafowl), which included all of present subspecies, except nominate pucherani (Kenya Crested Guineafowl); but thorough analysis of morphological characters concluded that the two were conspecific. Several other subspecies described: sethsmithi, schoutedeni, pallasi, chapini and kathleenae now included in verreauxi; lividicollis and symonsi included in edouardi; and granti included in pucherani.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
verreauxi (Elliot, DG, 1870) - Guinea Bissau east to north-western Cameroon; eastern Congo east through Zaire to western Kenya, and south to western and eastern Angola and western Zambia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Western Crested Guineafowl (Guttera verreauxi).
pucherani (Hartlaub, 1860) - South-western Somalia west to east-central Kenya, and south to central Tanzania, Zanzibar and Tumbatu I.
barbata Ghigi, 1905 - South-eastern Tanzania south to eastern Mozambique and west to Malawi.
edouardi (Hartlaub, 1867) - Eastern Zambia; Mozambique to north-eastern South Africa (south to central-eastern Natal). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Southern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet