Vulturine Guineafowl vs Black Guineafowl
Acryllium vulturinum compared with Agelastes niger
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Vulturine Guineafowl | Black Guineafowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Acryllium vulturinum | Agelastes niger |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Numididae | Numididae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 60.0 cm (23.6 in) | 42.1 cm (16.6 in) |
| Weight | 1332.25 g (46.99 oz) | 700.0 g (24.69 oz) |
| Diet | Forages in East African semi-arid scrub for seeds, invertebrates, and tubers. Highly gregarious; walks long … | Omnivorous; forages in Central African rainforests for invertebrates, seeds, fallen fruits, and small vertebrates in … |
| Clutch Size | 4-8 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Vulturine Guineafowl
Produces a loud, resonant honking alarm call and rapid, staccato clucking. The deep, carrying honk is unmistakable; flocks call with overlapping, rapid-fire notes on East African arid savanna.
Black Guineafowl
Produces a high-pitched, metallic clinking call and soft clucking series. Calls are unlike Helmeted Guineafowl; the metallic clinking echoes through Central African lowland forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Vulturine Guineafowl
Resident in northeastern Africa from Ethiopia and Somalia south to Kenya and Tanzania. Found in arid and semi-arid thornbush and grassland.
Black Guineafowl
Resident in the Congo Basin of Central Africa from Cameroon east to Uganda. Found in lowland and foothill rainforest.
Conservation Status
Vulturine Guineafowl
Black Guineafowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Vulturine Guineafowl
Cobalt blue and black breast; long hackle-like feathers on neck streaked white and blue; chestnut nape; bare blue-grey head; densely spotted black-and-white wings and flanks; crimson eye. Most striking guineafowl.
Black Guineafowl
Entirely glossy black throughout; bare reddish-pink head and neck devoid of casque or wattle; no white spotting; legs dark; tail short and black. Uniform all-black plumage distinguishes from spotted relatives.
About These Birds
Vulturine Guineafowl
The world's largest guineafowl (~1.3 kg) of family Numididae, with a bare blue head, chestnut nape, and brilliant cobalt-blue breast streaked with white. Inhabits dry bushland and thornscrub in northeastern Africa from Somalia to Tanzania. Forages in large coordinated flocks for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; a striking bird of the semi-arid Horn of Africa.
Black Guineafowl
A medium-sized guineafowl (~700 g) of family Numididae, with entirely black plumage and a bare red head and neck. Inhabits lowland rainforest understory in the Congo Basin of central Africa. Forages in small flocks on the forest floor for insects, seeds, and small invertebrates. Least Concern; associated with primary forest but broadly distributed across the Congo rainforest.