Punk-crested guineafowl flock rocks on in Umdloti’s forests

The recent reintroduction of Helmeted Guineafowl in Umhlanga has drawn attention to a lesser-known species occurring in coastal forests around Umdloti, where a large sighting has highlighted its local presence.

Umdloti resident Alex Curry recently reported a group of more than 50 Southern Crested Guineafowl in the coastal forest below the Signature Sibaya Estate, an unusually large number for the species.

“I have never encountered such a large group. It was really amazing,” he said, adding that it may have been two groups moving together.

While Helmeted Guineafowl are common across much of the country and typically occupy open grassland and savanna, local ecologist Dr Allister Starke said the Southern Crested Guineafowl is a forest specialist, restricted to dense habitats and therefore rarer.

In SA, the species occurs mainly in the northern and eastern parts of KZN. Its dependence on intact coastal dune forest makes it vulnerable to habitat loss.

Highly adapted to forest conditions, these shy birds remain within dense vegetation, making the remaining forest patches along the coast vital for sustaining local populations.

They are identifiable by a “punk rock” hairstyle, made up of a distinct crest of curled black feathers and small bluish-white spots across the body. Behaviourally, they differ from Helmeted Guineafowl, which are more vocal and comfortable in open areas. Crested guineafowl are generally quiet, using soft contact calls while foraging. When startled, they are more likely to run into thick undergrowth than take flight, although they will fly short distances to roost.

They are also known to follow troops of monkeys, feeding on fruit and seeds dropped from the canopy.

Starke estimates at least three groups of between 20 and 25 birds each in Umdloti, including one roaming the Salta and Bellamont Road forest and two in the Sibaya forest, supporting Curry’s view that the large group he saw may have been two groups together.