Southern Crested Guineafowl vs Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Guttera edouardi compared with Guttera pucherani
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Southern Crested Guineafowl | Eastern Crested Guineafowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Guttera edouardi | Guttera pucherani |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Numididae | Numididae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 55.1 cm (21.7 in) | 53.7 cm (21.1 in) |
| Weight | 1315.0 g (46.39 oz) | 1153.6666666666667 g (40.69 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; scratches for insects, seeds, fallen fruits, and small vertebrates in southern African forests and … | Forages in East African forests and woodland edges for invertebrates, seeds, fallen fruits, and small … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 4-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Southern Crested Guineafowl only
Eastern Crested Guineafowl only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Southern Crested Guineafowl
Produces a loud, raucous cackling call and guttural chuckling. Calls are slightly lower than Eastern Crested Guineafowl; echoes through southern African savanna and forest edge.
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Emits a loud, raucous cackling call and guttural chuckling series. The raucous cackle carries through East African forest edge; similar in quality to Western Crested Guineafowl.
Geographic Range & Migration
Southern Crested Guineafowl
Resident in southern Africa from Zimbabwe and Mozambique south to the Cape. Found in dense coastal and riverine forest.
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Resident in East Africa from Kenya and Uganda south to Tanzania and Mozambique. Found in forest and dense woodland.
Conservation Status
Southern Crested Guineafowl
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Southern Crested Guineafowl
Black body densely covered with white spots; bare blue-red facial skin; prominent erect curly black crest; red wattles; white spots largest on flanks. Southernmost crested guineafowl, similar to other Guttera …
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Dark black body with dense white spotting; bare blue-grey and red facial skin with small wattles; curly black feathered crest on crown; slightly smaller crest than Western Crested. Very similar …
About These Birds
Southern Crested Guineafowl
A medium-large guineafowl (~1.3 kg) of family Numididae, with a distinctive curly black crest and white-spotted black plumage. Inhabits forests and thickets in southern Africa, from Tanzania to South Africa. Forages on the ground in groups for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; common in suitable forest habitats across southern Africa and well represented in protected areas.
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
A medium-large guineafowl (~1.2 kg) of family Numididae, with white-spotted black plumage and a curly black crest. Inhabits coastal and montane forests in East Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. Forages in groups on the forest floor for seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Least Concern; widely distributed in East African forest habitats and adaptable to secondary forest.