Helmeted Guineafowl Ficial Water Points in the Drier Regions, and the Use of Telephone Gewone Tarentaal Poles As Roosts in Treeless Areas (Wolff & Milstein 1977)
308 Numididae: guineafowl
in the Transvaal (Zone 6), November–January in Zimbabwe (Zone 5) and KwaZulu-Natal (Zone 7), and spans October–March in Botswana (Dean 1971; Irwin 1981; Tarboton et al. 1987b; N.J. Skinner in litt.). An earlier September–December peak occurs in the winter-rainfall region of the southwestern Cape Province (Zone 4), while a later peak in March occurs in Namibia where late-summer rains are usual (Winterbottom 1968a; Brown & Clinning in press). Atlas data confirm this pattern, but with a later bias caused by records of chicks. Interspecific relationships: Its closest relative in south- ern Africa is the Crested Guineafowl Guttera pucherani. They prefer different habitats but can occur together, e.g. in the Zambezi Valley (A.J. Tree pers. comm.). Historical distribution and conservation: The Hel- meted Guineafowl has undergone greater range expansion than any other gamebird in southern Africa. Prior to the 20th century, it was not found south of the Orange River or west of Graaff- Reinet (3224BA) (T.M. Crowe pers. comm.). The reasons are probably a combination of translocations and natural expansions following cultivation, particularly of grain crops, increased arti- Helmeted Guineafowl ficial water points in the drier regions, and the use of telephone Gewone Tarentaal poles as roosts in treeless areas (Wolff & Milstein 1977). The ‘holes’ in Lesotho and Transkei suggest the effects of Numida meleagris anthropogenic factors, although altitude may also be a factor in Lesotho. As with the Redwing Francolin Francolinus levaillantii, The Helmeted Guineafowl is probably Africa’s most widespread these gaps indicate dramatic local extinctions resulting from and well-known gamebird, occurring in all sub-Saharan open- severe habitat degradation, and persecution by humans and country vegetation, from forest edge to sub-desert steppe. In domestic animals. The conservation status of the land also has a southern Africa, it is locally common to very abundant, especially dramatic effect on the density of guineafowl in Botswana, which in savannas mixed with cultivation. The only extensive areas is almost certainly related to hunting and grazing pressure where it is absent are in the semi-arid and desert regions of (Herremans 1993d; Herremans et al. 1994e; Rutina 1994). A southern Namibia, southwestern Botswana and the northern Cape further threat is the introduction of domesticated guineafowl, orig- Province, where it is probably limited by the availability of drink- inating from West Africa, into wild populations. These birds have ing water and safe elevated roosts. Strongholds are in areas with been selected and bred for commercially desirable traits which, permanent water, but it also occurs, unexpectedly, in parts of the if introduced by released stock, could make wild populations less Kalahari where surface water occurs only irregularly, while viable (Wolff & Milstein 1987). numbers in the Okavango Delta are inexplicably low (Herremans R.M. Little et al. 1994f). There is a clear gap in the distribution in Lesotho and the Transkei. Populations can fluctuate dramatically and can Recorded in 3009 grid cells, 66.3% be predicted by the frequency of rainfall prior to the breeding Total number of records: 66 666 season (Crowe 1978b; Crowe & Siegfried 1978; Berry & Crowe Mean reporting rate for range: 48.3% 1985). In the semi-arid areas, breeding success is virtually nil during years of below-average rainfall (Herremans 1993d, 1995c). Two of nine subspecies occur in southern Africa, N. m. Reporting rates for vegetation types damarensis confined to the drier western parts of Botswana and % 0204060 Namibia, and coronata throughout the rest of the species’ range in southern Africa (Crowe 1978a). Moist Woodland 56.7 Adults occur in pairs or small groups during the breeding Fynbos 56.6 season and in small to large flocks during the remainder of the Mopane 54.7 year. It is a conspicuous and easily identifiable species. Mixed Grasslands 54.4 Habitat: It is a commensal of humans, inhabiting most agri- Miombo 53.5 cultural regions, both of extensive and intensive agriculture, town Sour Grasslands 51.5 limits and suburban parks and gardens, as well as natural habitats. Arid Woodland 51.3 Vegetation associations were presumably more limited before Sweet Grasslands 47.9 habitat modification wrought by humans. Grassy Karoo 46.5 Movements: In most places it is resident, with long-term Central Kalahari 46.1 stability of flock membership (Crowe & Elbin 1987), but in E Zimbabwe Highlands 42.0 northern Botswana, short-distance movements from a hinterland Alpine Grasslands 37.2 in the dry Baikiaea woodlands to sites of large aggregations along Valley Bushveld 35.6 the Chobe riverfront have been inferred (Herremans et al. 1994f). Northern Kalahari 30.5 The formation of large nonbreeding flocks from pairs or small Okavango 29.5 family parties also assumes some mobility. The strong seasonal Nama Karoo 24.6 patterns in the models reflect seasonal changes in conspicuous- Namibian Escarpment 19.6 ness linked to their raucous calling early in the breeding season. East Coast Littoral 18.5 Breeding: It is more reliant on and responsive to rainfall in its Succulent Karoo 16.3 timing of breeding and its breeding success than the francolins Southern Kalahari 9.0 (Berry & Crowe 1985). Peak egglaying is November–February Namib 2.3 Numididae: guineafowl 309
14û
HELMETED GUINEAFOWL 5 1 18û
22û 2 6
26û
3 7 30û Reporting rate (%) > 50.6 28.6 — 50.6 2.0 — 28.5
< 2.0 34û 4 8 18û 22û 26û 14û 30û 10û 34û
60 40 40 1 5 20 20
60 40 40 2 6 20 20
60 40 40 3 7 20 20
60 40 Occurrence reporting rate (%) Breeding reporting rate (%) 40 4 8 20 20
J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ Models of seasonality for Zones. Number of records (top to bottom, left to right): Occurrence: 1017, 557, 617, 2731, 4374, 5270, 7866, 1273; Breeding: 65, 37, 118, 655, 300, 571, 869, 175.