Description:

The guinearunner (Giganumida congonensis) is a guineafowl species native to central Africa. These birds are similar in general appearance to ratites, but are not closely related to them. Like their ancestor, they have a massive blue head with a casque. This casque, however, is covered in a fleshy growth in both males and females. In females, the color of this casque is a faint whiteish-blue and short. With males, on the other hand, the head casque is bright orange with two orange wattles. Both males and females have red growths around the eye. Their feathers are also black, long, and whisker-like. They are 1.3 meters tall and weigh roughly 16 to 24 kilograms. They live roughly 15 years in the wild, while living 40 years in captivity.

Distribution:

Guinearunners are native to the open woodlands, savannas, and lowland tropical rainforests of the Congo Savannah and Congo Rainforest.

Diet:

The guinearunners are omnivorous birds that eat a variety of foods. They eat fruit, grasses, nuts, insects, fungi, leaves, and small vertebrates.

Behavior:

Guinearunners are a solitary species, coming together only to breed and have offspring. They are mainly found foraging and eat anything they can swallow. They usually stay in a particular area until food is scarce or predators are nearby. Speaking of predators, their main defense against predators is running away. They can outrun most predators, reaching speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour. They are fairly skittish because they don't have many other defensive adaptations besides pecking and scratching. They can also be found grooming themselves free of ticks and other parasites.

Males will often fight for territory by kicking and pecking at each other. It can cause injuries to each other, so male guinearunners tend to stay away from each other. Males usually do this by producing a loud booming call. It is interesting to note that guinearunners' territories in rainforest regions are usually smaller in total area. It is likely this is due to rainforests having a higher population of guinearunners than the grassland and woodland regions.

Reproduction:

Breeding season starts during the middle of the dry season and ends near the beginning of the wet season. Male guinearunners mainly use their crest to attract female guinearunners, but they will do a dance to prove themselves as suitable fathers. If the female doesn't like the dance, she will leave; if she does, she will mate with the male. Once the pair has mated, the male waits around until the female lays the eggs. After the female builds a nest and lays the eggs, the male will incubate them. The eggs will hatch, and the father guinearunner will be the primary caretaker. The male will take care of them until they reach sexual maturity, which is about 3 years.