Flying Fowl

A group of about 10 Red junglefowl were seen today, foraging on the shore and settling on a large boulder. This is a blurry photo taken with a not-long lens from a great distance away. The Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is the wild ancestor of domesticated chickens. Pulau Ubin is probably the only place in Singapore where you have a relatively good chance of seeing these rare birds in the wild. At Chek Jawa, large groups of 20 or more have been seen emerging from the coastal forest to forage on the beach with the outgoing tide.

As I got closer, the birds started to fly!!First one took off.Then more!
They really do fly and fly very well.It is said that these birds can fly quite a distance, for example to cross rivers, and to quite a height, spiralling upwards to the tree tops. In fact, they roost in trees.

Red junglefowl are considered vulnerable in Singapore and globally vulnerable to extinction. They are not only affected by habitat loss but also by poaching and interbreeding with domesticated chickens.