jungle fowl

American  

[juhng-guhl foul] / ˈdʒʌŋ gəl ˌfaʊl /

Or junglefowl

noun

1. any of several gallinaceous birds of the genus Gallus, found in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia: G. gallus red jungle fowl is believed to be the primary ancestor of the domestic chicken.

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jungle fowl British  

noun

1. any small gallinaceous bird of the genus Gallus, of S and SE Asia, the males of which have an arched tail and a combed and wattled head: family Phasianidae (pheasants). G. gallus ( red jungle fowl ) is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic fowl

2. any of several megapodes, esp Megapodius freycinet

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Etymology

Origin of jungle fowl

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Dridi and other researchers wanted to see how much genetic differences there were between jungle fowl and modern breeds.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2024

The researchers propose that the rice seeds drew wild jungle fowl to rice fields, where the birds nested in thickets at the edge of the fields and got used to humans.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2022

Five varieties of jungle fowl range from India to northern China, and small chicken bones are rare in fossil sites.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2022

I spotted my first on the ground: a family of red-breasted hill partridges foraging in the dirt, extending my layman’s streak of sighting jungle fowl.

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2016

The scurry of gray jungle fowl running for cover.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy