A206 Galliformes
This is an order / clade of heavy-bodied
ground-feeding birds. It includes turkey, grouse, chicken,
quail, ptarmigan, partridge and pheasant. There are around
290 species. All are skilled runners that can fly only a few
hundred feet when escaping danger. Most do not migrate.
Males often have elaborate courtship behaviors that include
strutting, fluffing of tail or head feathers, and vocal
sounds. They are mainly non-migratory.
Many species are raised as game birds by humans for
their meat and eggs. Other are the target of recreational
hunting. This has led to their common names of gamefowl and
gamebirds. They are also called land fowl to distinguish
them from ducks, geese and other water fowl. |
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