Plumed Guineafowl vs Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Guttera plumifera compared with Guttera pucherani
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Plumed Guineafowl | Eastern Crested Guineafowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Guttera plumifera | Guttera pucherani |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Numididae | Numididae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 46.5 cm (18.3 in) | 53.7 cm (21.1 in) |
| Weight | 875.0 g (30.86 oz) | 1153.6666666666667 g (40.69 oz) |
| Diet | Forages in Central African rainforests for invertebrates, seeds, and fallen fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Forages in East African forests and woodland edges for invertebrates, seeds, fallen fruits, and small … |
| Clutch Size | 9-10 | 4-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Plumed Guineafowl
Emits a loud, cackling call and guttural chuckling. Calls are similar to Crested Guineafowl but slightly lower; the raucous cackling echoes through Central African forest 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
Plumed Guineafowl
Resident in Central Africa from Cameroon and Gabon east to Uganda and western Democratic Republic of Congo. Found in lowland and foothill rainforest.
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Resident in East Africa from Kenya and Uganda south to Tanzania and Mozambique. Found in forest and dense woodland.
Conservation Status
Plumed Guineafowl
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Plumed Guineafowl
Dark grey-black with white spotting on body; bare blue-grey facial skin; distinctive upright black plume-like feathers on top of head forming crest; no casque; red-blue wattles small.
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
Plumed Guineafowl
A medium-large guineafowl (~875 g) of family Numididae, with black-spotted grey plumage and a distinctive straight feathered crest. Inhabits lowland tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin and Cameroon. Forages in groups on the forest floor for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; associated with primary and mature secondary Congo Basin forest with a broad regional distribution.
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.