The wild ancestor of the domestic chicken, this species lives in South and Southeast Asia, where it feeds on insects and plants. While the female is cryptically coloured - a feature that allows it to hide when nesting - the ostentatious plumage of the male helps to attract females in the breeding season. These birds live in small, mixed flocks until the breeding season begins. The strongest males then establish territories, and mate with several females. The females make nests, incubate the eggs, and also care for the young. Like many birds, they keep laying eggs if some are removed - a response that is used in chickens to produce a laying period that is many months long. |
