Chickens are the most common birds on the planet. 25 billion of them provide us with eggs and meat. It’s easy to forget they have wild ancestors surviving all over earth. But the chicken family game birds or Galliformes, include some of the most spectacular birds on the planet! From the pheasants of Europe, a common sight and sound across the countryside, to the Satyr Tragopan in the Himalayan forests of Nepal and Alaskan Ptarmigan that change colour with the seasons. Life at the bottom of the food chain can be hard but, far from being ‘bird-brained’, Galliformes guys and gals are true survivors; highly intelligent, social and complex creatures, capable of showing empathy and forming alliances. With much more to offer than drumsticks, this feathered family has it all - feisty featherweights, lusty lovebirds and plucky parents!
