About Acryllium vulturinum (Hardwicke, 1834)
Acryllium vulturinum, commonly known as the vulturine guinea fowl, is a large bird, measuring 61 to 71 centimetres (24 to 28 inches) in length. Its average weight ranges from 1 kilogram to 1.6 kilograms. Compared to other guinea fowl, it has longer wings, neck, legs, and tail. Adult vulturine guinea fowl have a bare blue face and a black neck. While all other guinea fowl also have unfeathered heads, this species has a particularly vulture-like appearance due to its long bare neck and head. Its slim neck extends from a cape made up of long, glossy blue and white hackles. The breast is cobalt blue, and the rest of the body plumage is black with fine white spangles. Its wings are short and rounded, and the tail is longer than that of other species in the guinea fowl family Numididae. Male and female vulturine guinea fowl are similar in appearance, though the female is usually slightly smaller than the male and has smaller tarsal spurs. Young birds are mainly grey-brown, with a duller blue breast and short hackles.
