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What the sources say

Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Helmeted Guineafowl profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 44 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Numida meleagris. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysA speckled ground bird with a bony helmet
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl are ground birdsNote: tagline; speckles and helmet quoted in the next two claims
The page saysThe body feathers are black to dark grey with white speckles
The source saysThe body, wings and thighs are covered in black to dark grey feathers with uniformed speckles of white.
The page saysone feather can carry a dozen or more of them
The source saysEach feather can have up to a dozen or more speckles on them.
The page saysMales and females both have a bony "helmet" on the crown of the head, called a casque
The source saysThey have a boney "helmet", known as a casque. The casque lies on top of the crown of the birds and both males and females have them.
The page saysMale casques are usually larger.
The source saysMale casques are usually larger than the casques of females.
The page saysa very loud alarm call
The source saysThe alarm call is a very loud, harsh, repeating rattling "kek-kek-kek-kek-krrrrrrrrr".Note: tagline
The page saysA very loud alarm call that warns other birds and surrounding fauna
The source saysWhen faced with danger, they use their alarm calls to warn other birds and surrounding fauna.Note: stats.superpower; loudness quoted in the previous claim
The page saysGrasslands, savannas, cultivated areas and scrub with some trees to roost in, across most of sub-Saharan Africa
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl are found in exposed areas that have some trees for them to roost upon at night. These include grasslands, savannas, cultivated areas and scrub lands.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysacross most of sub-Saharan Africa
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl are distributed across most of Sub-Sahara Africa.Note: stats.habitat and body
The page saysGrass seeds, roots and fruit, plus snails, beetles, ticks, frogs, small lizards and small mice
The source saystheir plant diet include grass seeds, grain, seedlings, leaves, bulbs, roots, fruit and flower heads. Sources of protein in their diet consist of snails, beetles, insect larvae, ticks, various invertebrates, frogs, small lizards and small mice.Note: stats.diet
The page saysis a ground bird with a body shaped like a chicken's
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl are ground birds that have a body shaped similar to a chicken and a grouse.
The page saysfrom Senegal in the west to Eritrea at the northern edge of its range, and south to South Africa
The source saysThey range as far west as Senegal and eastward to Eritrea at the north edge of their range, and southward to South Africa as the furthest southern range.
The page saysThe sides of the head, down to the middle of the neck, are bare and sky blue to dark blue.
The source saysThe sides of their heads at the ear-covert down to the middle of the neck are bare and are a sky blue to dark blue color.
The page saysAn adult weighs 1,134 to 1,842 grams, which is about 40 to 65 ounces.
The source saysRange mass 1134 to 1842 g 39.96 to 64.92 oz
The page saysThe alarm call is a very loud, harsh, repeating rattle, written as "kek-kek-kek-kek-krrrrrrrrr".
The source saysThe alarm call is a very loud, harsh, repeating rattling "kek-kek-kek-kek-krrrrrrrrr".
The page saysCalls grow louder and faster when the birds are excited or sense danger
The source saysTheir calls increase in volume and tempo when they are excited, aggravated or if they since danger.
The page saysthe harsh, dry calls can carry vast distances
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl have harsh, dry calls that can carry vast distances.
The page saysBy day the birds forage on the ground in flocks, and some flocks hold up to 100 birds.
The source saysDuring the day, they are always on the ground foraging for food in flocks of varying size. Some flocks can consist of a single male and female to large flocks with up to 100 birds.
The page saysAt night they roost in trees.
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl flocks roost in trees for protection at night.
The page saysThey eat grass seeds, roots and fruit, and also snails, beetles, ticks, frogs, small lizards and small mice.
The source saystheir plant diet include grass seeds, grain, seedlings, leaves, bulbs, roots, fruit and flower heads. Sources of protein in their diet consist of snails, beetles, insect larvae, ticks, various invertebrates, frogs, small lizards and small mice.
The page saysThey swallow small pebbles for their gizzards
The source saysThey also ingest small pebbles for their gizzards.
The page saysThey have been known to eat deer ticks that carry Lyme disease
The source sayshave been known to consume infected Deer ticks with Lyme disease.
The page saysthey are used as tick and insect control in farm fields
The source saysThese birds are used as tick and insect control in agricultural fields
The page saysTheir known predators include leopards, servals, crocodiles, snakes and martial eagles.
The source saysKnown predators include leopards ( Panthera pardus ), servals ( Leptailurus serval ), wildcats ( Felis sivestris ), dogs ( Canis lupus. familiaris ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), large reptiles that include crocodiles ( Crocodylinae ) and snakes ( Serpentes ) and Martial Eagles ( Polemaetus bellicosus ).
The page saysA female digs a scrape in thick plants and lays around six to fifteen eggs in it, then sits on them for up to thirty days.
The source saysHelmeted guinea fowl females dig scrapes in dense vegetation areas with twigs and leaves within the nest. The female will lay around six to fifteen eggs within the depression and incubate them for up to thirty days.
The page saysThe chicks are called keets, and they are fledged in four weeks.
The source says“keets”, term for chicks, are born. The keets forage with the parents once hatched as both parents defend them from dangers. Keets become fledged in four weeks.
The page saysTheir usual reaction to danger is to run, and flying comes last, in a steep climb.
The source saysThey typically run from danger but can fly as a last resort in a steep upward angle.
The page saysKeets stay with their parent group for at least fifty to seventy-five days before they become independent.
The source saysThe keets stay with the parent group for at least fifty to seventy five days before becoming independent.
The page saysA helmeted guineafowl usually runs from danger
The source saysThey typically run from dangerNote: vibe.reason

Source
02

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Numida meleagris. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysAnAge gives an average adult weight of 1,299 grams, which is about 2.9 pounds.
The source saysAdult weight 1,299 gNote: 2.9 lb from 1,299 g; AnAge lists it under 'Life history traits (averages)'
The page saysweightKg: 1.3
The source saysAdult weight 1,299 gNote: battleStats.weightKg; AnAge average (Dunning 2008)

Source
03

Oschadleus, Schultz & Schultz 2016

Oschadleus, Schultz & Schultz (2016). Longevity of the Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris. Biodiversity Observations.

The page saysA note published in 2016 gave the species' longevity record as a ringed bird caught again 9 years, 2 months and 5 days after it was ringed.
The source saysA Helmeted Guineafowl with ring 862414 was recaptured at Diep River wetland in Cape Town after 9 years 2 months 5 days (ringed at the same site), becoming the longevity record for this species.Note: year 2016 is in the reference; dated because a record can be beaten
The page saysA 2016 report gives the record as a bird ringed at a Cape Town wetland and caught there again 9 years, 2 months and 5 days later.
The source saysrecaptured at Diep River wetland in Cape Town after 9 years 2 months 5 days (ringed at the same site), becoming the longevity record for this species.Note: year 2016 is in the reference
The page saysThe previous record was 7 years, 9 months and 5 days.
The source saysThe previous record was 7 years 9 months 5 days.

Source
04

Daley et al. 2006

Daley et al. (2006). Running over rough terrain: guinea fowl maintain dynamic stability despite a large unexpected change in substrate height. Journal of Experimental Biology.

The page saysa knack for staying upright when the ground drops away
The source saysguinea fowl are quite successful in maintaining dynamic stability, as they stumbled only once (without falling) in the 19 unexpected perturbationsNote: tagline
The page saysResearchers camouflaged a drop in the running surface so the birds had no visual cue about the drop.
The source sayswe perturb the running of guinea fowl with an unexpected drop in substrate height (DeltaH). The drop is camouflaged to remove any visual cue about the upcoming change in terrain
The page saysThe guinea fowl stumbled only once in 19 unexpected drops, and did not fall.
The source saysthey stumbled only once (without falling) in the 19 unexpected perturbations
The page saysWhen the drop was in plain sight, they stumbled in 4 of 20 trials and fell twice.
The source sayswhen the birds could see the upcoming drop in terrain, they stumbled in 4 of 20 trials (20%, falling twice)
The page saysthe birds stumbled only once in 19 unexpected drops, without falling
The source saysthey stumbled only once (without falling) in the 19 unexpected perturbationsNote: vibe.reason

Source
05

Daley & Biewener 2006

Daley & Biewener (2006). Running over rough terrain reveals limb control for intrinsic stability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysadjusting the limb's angle as it touches down explains 80% of the variation in how hard the limb is loaded after the drop
The source saysAdjustment of limb contact angle explains 80% of the variation in stance-phase limb loading following the perturbation.Note: limb contact angle = the angle at touchdown

Source
06

Gatesy 1999

Gatesy (1999). Guineafowl hind limb function. I: Cineradiographic analysis and speed effects. Journal of Morphology.

The page saysbelow 2.0 metres per second there is no aerial phase, a moment with both feet off the ground
The source saysAn aerial phase is not present at speeds less than 2.0 m/secNote: the gloss of aerial phase is a definition; the study used high-speed cineradiographs (X-ray video) of the skeleton
The page saysX-ray video of guineafowl skeletons
The source saysHigh-speed cineradiographs, light films, and videos were used to record hind limb movements across a wide range of speeds. In particular, direct visualization of the skeleton in X-ray images

Source
07

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018

Numida meleagris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22679555A132052202.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF copy of the Red List, taxon 22679555
The page saysThe IUCN Red List rated the species Least Concern in 2018.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: assessment year 2018 is in the DOI and the reference

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.