Bird ID

Hello friends,
usually I post at the UK forum. But a very close friend in the States was lucky and this beautiful chap landed at her terrace.
Could you help with the name of this bird please.
Thanks,

Bertl

Bertl,

This is a Guineafowl, or Guineahen as I grew up calling them. They are native to Africa, have been domesticated and imported into other countries. Interestingly they are tick predators and are being used to help control Lyme's disease which is carried by ticks. It is likely this bird wandered off from the owners.

Mia has it. There are a bunch of different species of these birds too. My in laws have a dozen or so and they are some funky birds.

Yes it is a guineahen. The disease is Lyme disease (without 's). Named for Lyme Connecticut, where MOTHERS first noticed that their children were all developing arthritis. But I didn't know the part the guinea's were playing in control. Wish me luck. I am taking my boards for the "last" time in rheumatology. (Must re-take every 10 years and this is #3 for me). Hope to retire to more lens time once this one runs out. Maybe I'll get lucky and the guinea question will be on the boards. But.....I kinda doubt it.

Someone described these birds as looking like army helmets. I thought it was funny and pretty accurate.

Guineahens are also used as watch dogs. They will raise a real ruckus at night if anything comes prowling about.

This is a Helmeted Guineafowl. Common in Southern Africa and quite sought after as a hunted wildfowl. Unfortunately it does not really fly far or fast enough for the elite shotgun hunters, so not the ideal wildfowl. It tends to fly up when distrubed, fly a relatively short distance and upon landing, just keeps on running.