Guinea fowl come from Africa originally, but have been bred for food in many countries for hundreds of years, there are even drawings of them on the walls of the pyramids.

There are different varieties caused by cross-breeding over the years, and In some countries Guinea Fowl are still seen in the wild, hunted in the same way as pheasant or partridge are in the UK.

The domesticated guinea fowl which are popular in this country are called helmeted guinea fowl (numida meleagris) the rare varieties are crested guinea fowl and vulturine guinea fowl but these are not available in the UK, although they can sometimes be seen in zoos.