The black guineafowl (Agelastes niger) is a member of the guineafowl bird family. It occurs in humid forests in Central Africa. It is a medium-sized black bird with a bare, pink head and upper neck. Little is known of its behaviour. Description The head and upper neck of an adult black guineafowl are unfeathered, revealing the pink skin. A crest of short downy feathers is on the forehead and crown, and the throat and lower neck have a scattering of downy feathers. The body and tail feathers are black with some paler speckled markings on the belly. Males have one to three spurs on their legs, while females either have none or a single short spur. Juveniles are similar, but have buff tips to the feathers on their upper parts, a speckled breast, and white belly. The beak is greenish grey and the legs greyish brown. Males are usually slightly larger than females and measure about in length, weighing about . The call is a monotonous high-pitched "kwee" repeated at the rate of two to three notes per second. The alarm call is an even shriller sound repeated more rapidly. Behaviour The black guineafowl has been little studied. It is usually found in pairs or small groups, and is a shy, elusive bird of the forest floor. It occurs in primary and secondary growth woodland, favouring parts with thick undergrowth, but sometimes venturing out onto adjacent cultivated lands. It feeds on invertebrates such as ants, termites, millipedes, and beetles, and also small frogs, seeds, berries, and shoots. The nesting habits of this species are not known, but the eggs are pale reddish-brown, sometimes shaded with yellow or purple. It may breed in the dry season or possibly at any time of year. Distribution and habitat The black guineafowl is native to West Central Africa south of the Sahara. Its range includes Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The extent of its range is estimated to be . It is found on the forest floor in primary and secondary tropical rainforest, especially with thick undergrowth, and in nearby cultivated croplands. Research Black guineafowl are resistant to various diseases that affect poultry, including Ehrlichia ruminantium, which causes heartwater, but the mechanism for this resistance is not currently known to researchers. The black guineafowl's genome includes a