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Birds · Galliformes · Phasianidae

Sri Lanka Junglefowl

Gallus lafayettii

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Sri Lanka junglefowl is a galliform bird of the family Phasianidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the red junglefowl. The specific name commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette. In Sinhala it is known as වළි කුකුළා and in Tamil as இலங்கைக் காட்டுக்கோழி.

Weight

500 g – 1.2 kg

Size

35 cm – 72 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

1countries7parks21same family

Fun facts

  • The yellow patch in the centre of the male's red comb is unique among the world's junglefowl and is enough to identify him at a glance.
  • Its populations fluctuate with the mass flowering of bamboo, which happens every few decades: when the bamboo seeds, the abundance of food triggers a surge in breeding across the whole island.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment
Rainforest, dry forest, scrub and field margins of Sri Lanka
Sexual maturity
12 months
Gestation / incubation
20 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size
3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallus_lafayettii

Where to watch it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Sri Lanka Junglefowl — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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Based on what we already know about sri lanka junglefowl.

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