Helmeted Guineafowl
Helmeted GuineafowlHelmeted GuineafowlHelmeted GuineafowlHelmeted Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Silhouette: Matías Muñoz · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Shenandoah National Park
20 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
31,207 Verified sightings across all 97 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 Shenandoah National Park

Wild Turkey
LC

Wild Turkey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Meleagris gallopavo

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Chukar
LC

Chukar

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alectoris chukar

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Northern Bobwhite
NT Endemic

Northern Bobwhite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colinus virginianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ruffed Grouse
LC

Ruffed Grouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bonasa umbellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Peafowl
LC

Common Peafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pavo cristatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ring-necked Pheasant
LC

Ring-necked Pheasant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phasianus colchicus

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Helmeted Guineafowl in Shenandoah National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Guineafowl sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Helmeted Guineafowl in Shenandoah National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Helmeted Guineafowl in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Shenandoah National Park