page_title: Sri Lankan junglefowl
section_title: Reproduction
hierarchical_section_title: Sri Lankan junglefowl / Reproduction
caption_attribution_description: English&#x3a;&#32; Egg of Sri Lankan junglefowl Collection of Jacques Perrin de Brichambaut.Français&#x202f;&#x3a;&#32; Œuf de Coq de Lafayette Collection Jacques Perrin de Brichambaut.
context_page_description: The Sri Lankan junglefowl, also known as the Ceylon junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the red junglefowl, the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated. However, a whole-genome molecular study rather show that Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey junglefowl are genetically sister species than with the red junglefowl. Sri Lankan junglefowl and red junglefowl diverged about 2.8 million years ago whereas, time of divergence between the Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey junglefowl was 1.8 million years ago.
  Evidence of introgressive hybridization from Sri Lanka junglefowl has also been established in domestic chicken. The specific name of the Sri Lankan junglefowl commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette. In Sinhala, it is known as වළි කුකුළා and in Tamil, it is known as இலங்கைக் காட்டுக்கோழி.
context_section_description: The reproductive strategy of this species is best described as facultative polyandry, in that a single female is typically linked with two or three males that form a pride of sorts. These males are likely to be siblings. The female pairs with the alpha male of the pride and nests high off the ground.
  Her eggs are highly variable in colour, but generally are cream with a yellow or pink tint. Purple or brownish spots are common.
  Occasionally, a female produces red eggs or blotched eggs.
  The hen incubates her eggs, while the alpha male guards her nest from a nearby perch during the nesting season. The beta males remain in close proximity, and guard the nesting territory from intruders or potential predators, such as rival males, or snakes and mongooses. Sri Lankan junglefowl are unique amongst the junglefowl in the brevity of their incubation, which may be as short as 20 days as contrasted with the 21–26 days of the green junglefowl.
  The chicks require a constant diet of live food, usually insects and isopods such as sowbugs and pillbugs. In particular, the juveniles of land crabs are also highly important to the growth and survivability of the juvenile and subadult Sri Lankan junglefowl. In captivity, this species is particularly vulnerable to a poultry disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella pullorum and other bacterial diseases common in domestic poultry.
  The chicks, and to a slightly lesser extent the adults, are incapable of using vegetable-based proteins and fats. Their dietary requirements cannot be met with commercial processed food materials. As a result, they are exceedingly rare in captivity.
caption: Gallus lafayettii - MHNT
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