RED JUNGLEFOWL - PURE STRAIN By: Wayne P. Hawkins ©         Evidence indicates that Red Junglefowl provided the stock from which chickens were domesticated. Once chickens were domesticated and distributed by humans across southern Asia the stage was set for genes from domestic village chickens to begin to "pollute" the remaining populations of their wild ancestor through hybridization. A number of characteristics have been taken to indicate clean or pure Red Junglefowl; presence of an "eclipse" plumage in the males, absence of a comb and wattles in the female, slender dark legs, tail posture, call characteristics, and a generally wild and wary behavior. By these criteria, genetically pure Red Junglefowl may either be extinct as a wild species, or at best be in danger of extinction (1).   In the 1950s and 1960s, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) attempted to establish the Red Junglefowl as a game bird in the southeastern United States, specifically southern Georgia and South Carolina. The colony of apparently pure, wild stock was collected by the FWS in the Dehra Dun region of north central India.   One of the breeding facilities was located near Fitzgerald Georgia. In every case of trial release however, the junglefowl eventually disappeared and failed to become established. One exception was a series of escapees from the Fitzgerald hatchery. Offspring of these escapees and/or their hybrids with free-ranging domestic chickens from nearby rural communities have recently been identified living in the swamps and woods around the town of Fitzgerald and in some cases even in the town's suburban neighborhoods. These birds are somewhat wild in their behavior but they do not go through "eclipse" plumage, their tail carriage is somewhat vertical and the hens have combs "all' indicators that they have been crossed with domestic chickens. In their wisdom, the FWS decided to suspend the program eliminate all the remaining birds. Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, University of Georgia and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) had the good fortune and good judgment to obtain a small group of these Red Junglefowl from the Fitzgerald hatchery before the government disposed of the rest of the birds in the program.   Birds from this stock were later maintained in Tuscaoloosa, Alabama by Mr. Isaac Richardson and were bred in isolation from all domestic chickens for nearly 30 years. In 1998, through the efforts of Dr. Brisbin, the Georgia Game Bird Breeders Association obtained a number of these birds from Mr. Richardson. These birds were dispersed to a number of qualified breeders who agreed to keep detailed records and insure these birds were isolated from all other chickens to prevent inbreeding. Unlike many of the "so called" Red Junglefowl in captivity today, males retain a regular eclipse plumage molt, and females continue to lack combs and wattles.   The genetically pure Red Junglefowl are VERY difficult to keep in captivity due to their wild and wary nature. Some very good zoos have tried and given up the attempt. My personal experience with these birds is that after a while they will settle down (somewhat) with the person who feeds and cares for them on a daily basis; however. If anyone else comes near their pens, they are up and bashing themselves against the sides and rear of their pen in an effort to escape. They could certainly NEVER be kept in any kind of public display in which strange observers would constantly be passing by their pen, and this is where the attempts by zoos to keep and propagate these birds have been unsuccessful.     1-2 day-old junglefowl chicks. Pure wild strain in background and is darker with more chestnut on flanks. The zoo hybrid chick with its rear to the camera is larger and has paler color on flanks.    Dr. Brisbin has done experiments with a zoo junglefowl hen in an attempt to tame/imprint the pure wild birds on foster mothers. It did not work! Using 4 eggs from zoo junglefowl and 4 eggs from wild birds resulted in 8 chicks. The "zoo" hybrid chicks would run under the hen when she gave an alarm call while the 4 wild chicks would flush like a covey of quail and scatter to cover into the nearby woods or under shrubs, bushes, corner of the pen, etc. Once the hen gave the all clear, the wild chicks would slowly emerge from their hiding places.   At the present time there are a number of breeding pairs of the pure strain of Red Junglefowl throughout the United States. Most all of the red junglefowl from the original group are banded, microchipped, studbook listed, and registered with the International Species Information System (ISIS), the organization that maintains registration records and pedigrees for wild species in most of the world's zoos. In addition, an experimental flock of deliberate hybrids of the pure Red Junglefowl with domestic bantams has been established. These birds are every bit as pretty and interesting but easier to keep. They are also very important to the research that is being conducted by Dr. A. Townsend Peterson of the University of Kansas and Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia.   *********************************************************************************** My thanks to Dr. Peterson and Dr. Brisbin for use of much of the material used to prepare this article. Photos©, used with permission and invaluable editorial help by Dr. Brisbin. *********************************************************************************** Peterson, A.T. and I.L. Brisbin, Jr.: 1999. Genetic endangerment of wild red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) ? Bird Conservation International (Vol. 9) pp. 387-394. ***********************************************************************************