Guineafowl | Numididae

Parelhoenders | Pintadas

Head and neck are bare skin, usually topped by a horny casque or a tuft of bristly feathers and in some species hung with wattles; that naked skin helps shed heat in open, hot country. The plumage is dark and peppered over almost the whole body with white pearl spots, and male and female look much alike, unlike most other gamebirds. The build is stocky, with a short thick bill and powerful legs used to dig out bulbs and tubers. Outside the breeding season they live in tight flocks that would rather run than fly when disturbed, and roost in trees at night.