Red jungle fowl

The red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It is the primary progenitor of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) (though genetic evidence strongly suggests some past hybridisation with the grey junglefowl, as well). The red junglefowl was first domesticated at least 5000 years ago in Asia. Since then, its domestic form has spread around the world and is kept globally as a very productive food source of both meat and eggs. Numerous wild and domestic subspecies of Gallus gallus exist, including: The true nominate race of red junglefowl has a mix of feather colors, with orange, brown, red, gold, gray, white, olive and even metallic green plumage. The tail of the male roosters can grow up to 28 centimetres (11 in), and the whole bird may be as long as 70 centimetres (28 in). There are 14 tail feathers. A moult in June changes the bird's plumage to an eclipse pattern, which lasts through October. The male eclipse pattern includes a black feather in the middle of the back, and small red-orange plumes spread across the body. Female eclipse plumage is generally indistinguishable from regular plumage, but the moulting schedule is the same as males. Compared to the more familiar domestic chicken, the red junglefowl tends to have smaller body mass, and is brighter in its coloration. The male's tail is composed of long, arching feathers that initially look black, but shimmer with blue, purple, and green in bright light. The female's plumage is typical of this family of birds in being cryptic and adapted for camouflage. She alone looks after the eggs and chicks. She also has no fleshy wattles, and a very small comb on the head. During their mating season, the male birds announce their presence with the well known 'cock-a-doodle-doo' call or crowing. Male red junglefowl have a shorter crowing sound than domestic roosters; the call cuts off abruptly at the end. This serves both to attract potential mates and to make other male birds in the area aware of the risk of fighting a breeding competitor. A spur on the lower leg just behind and above the foot serves in such fighting. Their call structure is complex and they have distinctive alarm calls for aerial and ground predators to which others react appropriately. The range of the wild form stretches from India, eastwards across Indochina and southern China and into Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Junglefowl were one of three main animals (along with the domesticated pigs and dogs) carried by early Austronesian peoples from Island Southeast Asia in their voyages to the islands of Oceania in prehistory, starting at around 5,000 BP. Today their ancient descendants are found throughout Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Red junglefowl regularly bathe in dust to keep just the right balance in their plumage. The dust absorbs extra oil and subsequently falls off.