Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Silhouette: Matías Muñoz · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
FamilyNumididae (Guineafowl)
GenusNumida (Helmeted Guineafowl)
SpeciesNumida meleagris (Helmeted Guineafowl)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Darién National Park

2 Verified sightings at Darién National Park From 2019 to 2026

31,207 Verified sightings across all 97 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Helmeted Guineafowl

The helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guinea fowl 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, as a domesticated species, into the West Indies, North America, Colombia, Brazil, Australia and Europe.

The helmeted guinea fowl was formally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Phasianus meleagris. In 1764, Linnaeus moved the helmeted guinea fowl to the new genus Numida. The genus name Numida is Latin for "North African".

In the early days of the European colonisation of North America, the native wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was confused with this species. The word meleagris, Greek for guinea fowl, is also shared in the scientific names of the two species, though for the guinea fowl it is the species name, whereas for the turkey, it is the name of the genus and, in inflected form, the former family, Meleagridididae.

The nine recognised subspecies are: The helmeted guinea fowl is a large, 53 to 58 cm (21 to 23 in) bird... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Darién National Park

Ortalis cinereiceps

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Penelope purpurascens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Crax rubra

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Odontophorus gujanensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Rhynchortyx cinctus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Odontophorus melanotis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Penelope ortoni

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Odontophorus dialeucos

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Berenty Reserve	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~80%
2	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~80%
3	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
4	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~70%
5	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
6	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~60%
7	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~60%
8	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~60%
9	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
10	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~60%
11	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
12	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
13	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
14	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~60%
15	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~60%
16	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
17	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~50%
18	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~50%
19	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~50%
20	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~50%
21	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
22	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~50%
23	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~50%
24	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~50%
25	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~40%
26	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
27	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
28	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
29	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
30	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
31	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~40%
32	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
33	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
34	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
35	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
36	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~30%
37	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
38	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
39	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~20%
40	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
41	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
42	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
43	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
44	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
45	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
46	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
47	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
48	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
49	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
50	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
51	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
52	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
53	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	<5%
54	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
55	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
56	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	<5%
57	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
58	Lamington National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
59	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Blue Mountains National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
61	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
62	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
63	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
64	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
65	Rakiura National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Insufficient data
66	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
67	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
68	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
69	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
70	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
71	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
72	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
73	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
74	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
75	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
76	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
77	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
78	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
79	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
80	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
81	Springbrook National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
82	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
83	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
84	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
85	Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
86	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
87	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
88	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
89	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
90	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
91	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
92	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
93	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
94	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
95	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
96	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Insufficient data
97	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Darién National Park

Helmeted Guineafowl

About the Helmeted Guineafowl

Closest Relatives at Darién National Park

Gray-headed Chachalaca

Crested Guan

Great Curassow

Marbled Wood Quail

Tawny-faced Quail

Black-eared Wood Quail

Baudó Guan

Tacarcuna Wood Quail

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found