Gilded cock

The cock gilded or cock bankiva (species Gallus gallus ) is a bird of the family of the Phasianidae originating in the South-East Asia . The species was domesticated and is at the origin of all the races of hen domesticates.

The form Sauvage of the species is usually called “cock bankiva”, denomination which can carry to confusion since “bankiva” is the name of the subspecies originating in Java, which in addition is probably not the ancestor of the domestic cock.

Subspecies

The surface of distribution of the wild species " vraie" stretch yourself the North-East of India (where the pure species contaminated by hybridization with animals of race was almost certainly domesticates) towards the east (southernmost China) and until the Malaysia and the Indonesia. Each one of these areas shelters a subspecies:

Gallus gallus gallus Indo-China
Gallus gallus bankiva Java
Gallus gallus jabouillei Vietnam
Gallus gallus murghi India
Gallus gallus spadiceus Burma (regarded as the probable ancestor of the domestic bird)

One notes finally the pet:

Gallus gallus domesticus

It is also necessary to note in several areas of the world the presence of wild populations exclusively resulting from pets (phenomenon of marronnage): Hawaii, the Meeting, Florida, Polynesia… whose morphology varies between domestic and standard types very close to the representatives ever domesticated of the species.

Description

At this species with the sexual Dimorphism marked enough, the cock is distinguished from hen by its more important size, by its peak bright red on the head and its let us barbillons more developed, by its pins, the brighter colors of its plumage and by its tail in plume of black feathers with reflections blue, crimson and green the plumage of the female is typical of this family of birds: conceived for the camouflage because it only deals of eggs and chicks. The peak of wild hens is non-existent. During the season of reproduction, the cocks announce their presence with the well-known call of " cocorico". This is used for attracting the females and holding remotely or defying possible competitor males present in the surroundings. The legs of the cock carry pins to the top of the foot which they use to be defended and to fight. The flight for these birds is almost limited to reach their perches with laying down sun in the trees or any other high place which puts them at the shelter the predatory ones, and for the escape in front of an immediate danger during the day.

Current research concerning the genetic integrity of this species seems to show that the pure form is completely rare and can even be extinct, only represented in a wild state by birds with various degrees of crossing with domestic animals of races of the species. Three other members of the kind Gallus: Gallus lafayetii in Sri Lanka, Gallus sonneratii and Gallus varius do not produce a hybrid fertile with the gilded cock, this one proving to be the single ancestor of domestic chicken.

See too

External bonds

To say cock-a-doodle-doo in the world

Random links: