jungle fowl

or jun·gle·fowl

[ juhng-guhl foul ]

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.

jungle fowl

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of jungle fowl¹

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

Charles Darwin proposed that chickens descended from the red jungle fowl—a colorful tropical bird in the pheasant family–because the two look so much alike.

From Science Magazine

They also found that the modern chicken’s chief ancestor is a subspecies of red jungle fowl named Gallus gallus spadiceus.

From Science Magazine

But many wondered how red jungle fowl—known to be chickens' wild ancestors—could suddenly appear more than 1,000 miles from their native range in Southeast Asia.

From Scientific American

But the animals that they descend from, known as jungle fowl or Gallus, can be dated back 21 million years.

From Washington Post