A worldwide order of medium-sized, mainly ground-feeding birds; includes the megapodes, curassows, the hoatzin, and the game birds (pheasants, turkeys, domestic fowl); also known as gallinaceous birds.
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Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo |
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Megapodiidae |
The Galliformes is an order of birds containing the turkeys, grouse, quails and pheasants.
These birds vary in size from the diminutive Asian Rain Quails (Excalfactoria chinensis) at 12.5 cm long and weighing 28 to 40 g to the largest extant Galliform species, is the North American Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), wild specimens of which may weigh as much as 14 kilograms (about 30 pounds) and may exceed 120 cm.
The Galliform bird species with the largest wing-span is most likely the Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus).
Peafowls, junglefowl and most of the sub-tropical pheasant genera have very different nutritional requirements from typical Palearctic genera.
The Himalayan Griffin or Chir Pheasant (Catreus wallichi), Crested Argus or Ocellated Argus (Rheinardia ocellata), The enigmatic Roul roul or Crested Wood Partridge (Roullus roullus) and the Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) are similar ecologically to the Himalayan Monal in that they too forage in rotting wood for termites, ant and beetle larvae, molluscs, crustaceans and the nests of rodents.
Typical peafowl (Pavo), the so-called peacock-pheasants (Polyplectron), with the exception of the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum, the Bornean Wattled Pheasant (Lobiophasis bulweri), the ruffed pheasants (Chrysolophus) and the Hill Partridges (Arborphila) have narrow, relatively delicate bills, poorly suited for digging.
The Shan Pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae), Green Peafowl(Pavo muticus superspecies complex), Bornean Wattled Pheasant and the Crestless Buffalo Pheasant or Crestless Fireback (Acomus erythropthalma)are notable for their aptitude to forage for crustaceans such as crayfish and other aquatic small animals in shallow streams and amongst rushes in much the same manner as members of the rail family.
The Himalayan Starhawks or Tragopans (Tragopan), Mikado Pheasant, and several species of grouse and ptarmigan are exceptional in their largely vegetarian and arboreal foraging habitats. Species known to make extensive flights include the Ptarmigans, Sage Grouse, Roul Roul, Green Peafowls, Crested Argus, Mountain Peacock Pheasant, Koklass, Arrow or Reeve's pheasant and Green Junglefowl. Other species for example, most of the Toothed Quails also known as New World Quails, the enigmatic African Stone Partridge or Rock Bantam, Guineafowls and Eared
Pheasants are all notable for their daily excursions on foot which may take them many miles in a given day.
The Sumatran Bronze Tailed Polyplectron, Snow Partridge, Painted Spurfowl(Galloperdix) and Crimson-headed Wood Partridge (Haematortyx) are notable in their habit of not only moving by foot but also in the air as pairs in the manner of doves.
ORDER GALLIFORMES
Family: Megapodiidae, mound-builders Family: Cracidae, chachalacas, guans and curassows Family: Tetraonidae, grouse Family: Phasianidae, junglefowl (including the wild form of the domestic chicken), partridges, pheasants, quail, and allies. Family: Odontophoridae, New World quail Family: Numididae, guineafowl Family: Meleagrididae, turkeys Family: Mesitornithidae, mesites (may actually be more closely related to gruiform birdsThe buttonquail family is traditionally listed among the Galliformes, but many authorities now regard it as sufficiently different to list it as a separate order.
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