Guinea fowl are a bird species native to Africa, of the Galliformes species. They are seed-eaters, and insect eaters, and are often thought to be an odd species of partridge. Though there are a number of sub-species of Guinea fowl in Africa, they tend to be fairly large birds, and only a few have been successfully domesticated. Of those species, the Helmeted Guineafowl has been particularly successful in domestication, and has been introduced in southern France, the West Indies, and the United States. The Helmeted Guineafowl are known as Pintade, in France, and, sometimes, in the UK as Gleanies. The young are called keets, and tend to be quite small at hatching. About six weeks after hatching, Guinea fowl can be moved from a brooder to a coop, where they can eat seeds, worms, insects, a few forms of poultry feed, and, most particularly, ticks (thereby potentially reducing the occurrence of Lyme disease). Before that, however, it is extremely important that they be kept warm, because it takes weeks for their feathers to properly grow in.

The head and neck of Helmeted Guinea fowl are bare, but both male and females may have a wattle; the males' is quite distinctive. In the U.S., three coloration varieties of the Helmeted Guinea fowl have been carefully propagated. The Pearl is the most popular variety, and is the one most people associate with Guinea fowl (the image above is a Pearl Helmeted Guinea fowl); its plumage is a gray to purple color, with distinctive white spots or "eyes"; the feathers are quite popular as material for craft projects, and tying fly-fishing flies. The White Guinea fowl, sometimes African White, are white at hatching and remain completely white (though they are not albino). The last variety is the striking Lavender Guinea, with plumage is a light gray or lavender, with white dots.

Guinea fowl tend to mate for life. They can be accustomed to humans if you begin by handling the keets soon after hatching. They are creatures of habit, and while they will range widely during the day, they are also quite territorial and can be trained when young to range during the day, and roost in a coop at night, and will even share night-time brooding quarters with chickens. Their eggs, while small, are quite edible (about two Guinea fowl eggs equal a chicken egg). The meat too is quite edible, and has been compared to a slightly more pheasant or partridge-like chicken.

Their cry is quite distinctive, and they are both aggressively territorial, and quite curious. Within a flock, there's usually one male who is dominant, and one female. They can fly, and like to perch on roofs, fences, or trees, and pounce on "invading" dogs, cats, or people, while making an enormous racket. They are therefore quite popular as "guardian" birds for poultry of various kinds.

Here's a video of Guinea fowl in defense mode, terrorizing a cat and a dog: