A Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Pheasant and Guinea Fowl belong to the same family but the Latin inscription Numidia Meleagris more accurately identifies the bird as a Helmeted Guinea Fowl, characterised by the dense white spots of the plumage against a black ground. The Helmeted Guinea Fowl is depicted with scientific accuracy but also jewel-like refinement, with the variegated feathers and markings of the bird meticulously detailed. The helmet of the Guinea Fowl, which gives the species its name, is the small protuberance to the top of the forehead. Its small size here indicates that this may be a hen or a young male.