27 Sep Helmeted Guineafowl | Pest Control Crew
No matter where you go on the Reserve, you are bound to run into these comical little characters scurrying through the landscape, creating dust clouds as they go along in search of food! Quite often overlooked, these remarkable fowl are an integral part of Mother Nature’s pest control crew, walking long distances each day in search of tasty morsels, such as ticks, flies, locusts, scorpions and other invertebrates, even plucking maggots from carcasses and manure, and seeds. They roost in trees at night to avoid predators. During their social get togethers, males will groom themselves and take dust baths and chase each other around to settle their differences. The male with the highest fitness and endurance levels, is the boss. Next time you come across these amusing characters, know how important they are in keeping the balance in nature.
