Re: Capricorn Red Junglefowl

[Syd Curtis <>]

Hello David,

Although I do not know what was the origin of North-West Island chooks, I'd be very surprised if they were introduced as Red Junglefowl.   There were chooks and cats on the Island when I camped there in the1960s.  It seems most unlikely that in the first half of the 20th Century, and still less likely in the 19th Century, anyone would have had any interest establishing a colony of Red Jungle fowl on an Australian Island.

For a number of years at a much earlier time, c. 1920 maybe, a turtle canning factory operated on Northwest.  It seems likely that domestic chooks were introduced at that time to supply eggs and the occasional bird for the table.  And if they were not already roaming the island, they would have been released rather removed to the mainland when the factory closed.  But as the factory operated on turtles coming ashore to lay, it would have been a seasonal thing, with the chooks just at large and fending for themselves for the rest of the year. 

That seems a likely origin, and that in the 80 years or so as a feral population  they have reverted to being, or being something very like,  Red Junglefowl.

There was an RAOU expedition to Northwest while the factory was in operation.  If you have access to a Library with a full set of Emu, there's sure to be reports.   They would fix the date, and if in fact there were Red Junglefowl as distinct from domestic chooks, this would likely be mentioned.

Cheers

Syd


> From: 
>
> Red Junglefowl have recently started to be kept and bred by a (very) small number of people involved in breeding exhibition poultry.  
>
> Because of the nature of this hobby these birds would not simply be cross-bred birds that happen look like Red Junglefowl but must have some genetic integrity.  I'm wondering if these birds may have their origin in the birds removed from the Capricorn Group.  The long standing import bans relating to bringing poultry into Australia means that the stock had to originate in the country. 
>
> Cheers 
David Geering