The birds' distinguishing characteristics are red eyes and a hackle of long, black and white striped feathers that partially cover a bright blue breast. The four species of guinea fowl are mainly confined to Africa south of the Sahara, although a population of Helmeted Guinea fowl is found north of the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Helmeted Guinea fowl are common from Chad to the Rift Valley, south to Zaire, Kenya and Uganda in open grasslands. Vulturine Guinea fowl inhabit arid regions of Somalia in sub-Saharan Africa. They prefer the thickets and tangled scrub at the edges of lowland forests.
Guinea fowl are capable of flight, but they forage and nest on the ground.
Helmeted Guinea fowl are noisy and gregarious birds, but they are often inconspicuous when feeding among trees and scrub. Towards evening the harsh, abrasive cackles of roosting flocks sound through the trees until silenced by nightfall. Flocks of several hundred birds are common and 2,000 birds have been counted in one flock. Vulturine Guinea fowl form much smaller flocks of 20-30 except during the breeding season, when they split up into family groups. All guinea fowl are ground dwelling opportunistic feeders.