The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known species of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and Europe (e.g. southern France).
The name comes from the reddish crest on the top of the guineafowl's head, giving the appearance of a helmet. The bony growth on top of their head that is called a casque. Both males and females look alike. They spend most of their time on the ground, looking for food, but they can fly short distances if they feel threatened and spend the night on low branches of trees. At breeding time, male helmeted guineafowl are very aggressive towards each other and often injure each other. The females lay 6-12 eggs in a small scrape on the ground. The babies are called keets. They live in small groups of up to 25 birds and eat seeds, insects, worms, roots, fruit, frogs and small reptiles. They form massive flocks which are often targets for the predatory caracal.