Is there anybody who is not mesmerized by the colours of the Red Jungle Fowl. My friends who are lovers of different varieties of chicken on their dinner table whether in hotel or house , who enjoys the leg piece right or left should thank the progenitor namely the Red Jungle Fowl, which was domesticated about 5000 years back.

During the breeding season the male announces its presence with his loud call ‘Cock a doodle ..doo” and the call cuts off abruptly at the end. The basic purpose of the call is to attract the potential mates as well as giving a warning to other males in the area to keep away or they have to fight a battle for the mating rights.

I have been observing this specie right from when I got introduced to the wildlife right from the year 2004.I saw it closely in Kanha National Reserve in the same year. It is found in all the parks of North and Central India. In the Deccan India you will observe the Grey Jungle Fowl and not the Red Jungle fowl. After being in the wild for so many years I found Dudhwa National Park to be the best place to shoot them with your camera. Recently at Rajaji National Park I found two males in the river bed who were ready to fight for the mating rights but did not as they thought of fighting with each other at a later time ,being disturbed by the sound of our vehicle. I also lost a rare opportunity to record the fighting sequence. Better luck next time.

Purebred Red Jungle Fowls are facing a serious threat of extinction on account of hybridisation at the edge of the forests where domesticated chickens are in plenty. Is there any solution ? Yes a good buffer zone between the reserve forest and the human habitation zone.

Enjoy the unbelievable colours of this specie.