Green Junglefowl
Encyclopedia
The Green Junglefowl, Gallus varius also known as Javan Junglefowl, Forktail or Green Javanese Junglefowl is a medium-sized, up to 75 cm long, bird in the pheasant
family
Phasianidae
. Recent molecular work (Kimball et al., Barrowclough) has revealed that Junglefowl and Pheasants are not monophyletic
.
and Green Peafowl
. Each scale is vivid blue at its base and moves through various shades of gold and bronzed green. Specialized plumes framing the throat of the male Green Junglefowl are highly light reflective and appear violet at the proximal and sky blue at the distal edges. The lesser coverts of the wing are a striking burned orange with bronzed black centers. The distal edges of the greater secondary coverts are vivid ocher.
Like its cousin the Red Junglefowl
, the breast and ventral regions are a dense light absorbing black. Like its closer relative the Ceylon Junglefowl, the male Green Junglefowl exhibits vivid 'windows' of bare facial skin that contrasts against the dark scarlet red of the face. The Green Junglefowl exhibits an ice blue center in its comb. A region of electric yellow facial skin extends below each ear, delineating the plumed hackles from gular lappet. Its head is topped by a light blue comb, which turns purple or red towards the top. Its wattle is also of the same colour but is bordered with blue on the edges and yellow closer to the throat. The female is mostly brown with occasional green feathers and has no comb.
, Lombok
, Komodo
, Flores
, Rinca and small islands linking Java with Flores, Indonesia
. It has been introduced to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
where there is a small wild population. It is found from a natural altitude of 0 - 2000 m in subtropical/tropical lowland moist forest, shrubland and arable land.
to feed and drink and then back into the cover of the forest. In the night the flock roosts in bamboo stands at 15–20 feet above the forest floor. In the breeding season
the dominant males in each flock are challenged by other males without flocks. The two males clap their wings and crow loudly while fighting each other with their spur
s.
is disappearing. This is because these birds are bred with domestic chickens by many people, producing a hybrid known as the Bekisar
. The Bekisar has become very popular in the East Java
province and has become the mascot-bird of the area.
Therefore the Green Junglefowl requires more protected conditions than chickens. However, it is known to be able to fly more strongly than chickens,
The captive Green Junglefowl requires warm aviaries
with lots of foliage and cover due to their shy nature and are fed with grains and seeds, as well as fruit and insects as these are the same type of food they would feed on in the wild. This bird has also been known for a long time as a pet animal because of its beauty and unique call.
of Threatened Species.
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
. Recent molecular work (Kimball et al., Barrowclough) has revealed that Junglefowl and Pheasants are not monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
.
Description
The colouration of the Green Junglefowl is sexually dichromatic. The male's plumage is dark and blackish at a distance. A closer view will reveal an iridescent mantle of gleaming scales reminiscent in colour and pattern to those seen in the Ocellated TurkeyOcellated Turkey
The Ocellated Turkey is a species of turkey residing primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula. A relative of the more common Wild Turkey , it was sometimes previously treated in a genus of its own but the differences between this species and Meleagris gallopavo are too small to justify generic...
and Green Peafowl
Green Peafowl
The Green Peafowl or Javan Peafowl, Pavo muticus is a large Galliform bird that is found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia...
. Each scale is vivid blue at its base and moves through various shades of gold and bronzed green. Specialized plumes framing the throat of the male Green Junglefowl are highly light reflective and appear violet at the proximal and sky blue at the distal edges. The lesser coverts of the wing are a striking burned orange with bronzed black centers. The distal edges of the greater secondary coverts are vivid ocher.
Like its cousin the Red Junglefowl
Red Junglefowl
The Red Junglefowl is a tropical member of the Pheasant family. They are thought to be ancestors of the domestic chicken with some hybridisation with the Grey Junglefowl...
, the breast and ventral regions are a dense light absorbing black. Like its closer relative the Ceylon Junglefowl, the male Green Junglefowl exhibits vivid 'windows' of bare facial skin that contrasts against the dark scarlet red of the face. The Green Junglefowl exhibits an ice blue center in its comb. A region of electric yellow facial skin extends below each ear, delineating the plumed hackles from gular lappet. Its head is topped by a light blue comb, which turns purple or red towards the top. Its wattle is also of the same colour but is bordered with blue on the edges and yellow closer to the throat. The female is mostly brown with occasional green feathers and has no comb.
Distribution and habitat
The Green Junglefowl is endemic to Java, BaliBali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Lombok
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
, Komodo
Komodo
Komodo may refer to:* Komodo dragon, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo* Komodo , in Indonesia** kvh, a language spoken there, as listed in the standardized code ISO 639...
, Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
, Rinca and small islands linking Java with Flores, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It has been introduced to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka....
where there is a small wild population. It is found from a natural altitude of 0 - 2000 m in subtropical/tropical lowland moist forest, shrubland and arable land.
Behaviour
The Green Junglefowl usually lives in groups of two to five in the wild led by a dominant male, who takes the flockFlock (birds)
A flock is a group of birds conducting flocking behavior in flight, or while foraging. The term is akin to the herd amongst mammals. The benefits of aggregating in flocks are varied and flocks will form explicitly for specific purposes...
to feed and drink and then back into the cover of the forest. In the night the flock roosts in bamboo stands at 15–20 feet above the forest floor. In the breeding season
Breeding season
The breeding season is the most suitable season, usually with favourable conditions and abundant food and water, for breeding among some wild animals and birds . Species with a breeding season have naturally evolved to have sexual intercourse during a certain time of year in order to achieve the...
the dominant males in each flock are challenged by other males without flocks. The two males clap their wings and crow loudly while fighting each other with their spur
Spur (disambiguation)
A spur is a metal instrument fastened to the heel of a horse rider.Spur may also refer to:*Features of plants, animals, and humans, including:...
s.
Relationship with humans
The Green Junglefowl is being maintained and increasingly bred in captivity as its genetic diversityGenetic diversity
Genetic diversity, the level of biodiversity, refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
is disappearing. This is because these birds are bred with domestic chickens by many people, producing a hybrid known as the Bekisar
Bekisar
The Bekisar, or Ayam Bekisar, is the first generation hybrid offspring of the Green Junglefowl and domesticated Red Junglefowl from Java...
. The Bekisar has become very popular in the East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
province and has become the mascot-bird of the area.
Therefore the Green Junglefowl requires more protected conditions than chickens. However, it is known to be able to fly more strongly than chickens,
The captive Green Junglefowl requires warm aviaries
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
with lots of foliage and cover due to their shy nature and are fed with grains and seeds, as well as fruit and insects as these are the same type of food they would feed on in the wild. This bird has also been known for a long time as a pet animal because of its beauty and unique call.
Status and conservation
The Green Junglefowl is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species.