Buddy and Anne

Buddy (Guttera Pucherani Pucherani).

I remember to this day when one of my friends in Texas called me and asked me if I want to take two baby birds from him. I asked him what kind they were but he didn't quite know. He said that they came with a shipment of baby pheasants and he noticed that they were different so he had no use for them. I went and picked up the chicks which must have been 5-6 days old. I looked at them carefully and decided they were probably helmeted guineafowl. I started raising them and I realized pretty fast that they were indeed different because, unlike most guineafowl, these were very tame. Summer came and with it strong thunderstorms. I lost one of the babies in one of the storms. The one that was left, I called Buddy because he was like a puppy...always following me around. This was in 2001. It did not take long before Buddy was covered in his bluish grey feathers with white polka dots all over. It was then that I was sure he was a different type of guinea. I started asking around and I was told that Buddy is a Kenya Crested Guineafowl and that I was extremely lucky to have him. Life in Texas was hard for Buddy and he had to come in the house almost every night during winter. He became so used to it that every night he was pecking at the glass sliding door to come in. Once we moved to California, he has been more in his element. He loves the dry hot summer days. He still is a very friendly bird and he will happily give anyone a tour of the aviary. He is very protective of most other birds and his territory. He is the supreme boss of the aviary and he's very good at keeping order and breaking up fights. He is a tremendous help to me as he helps me deal with all the birds from their own level.

Anne (Guttera Pucherani Pucherani).

I have always been looking for a companion for Buddy. He is a flock bird and I wanted him to have someone to talk to. For a few years I looked but never found one. In the fall of 2003, I talked to Garry of Animals Incorporated in Sacramento. He had a lot of young birds and I was so happy that Buddy could at last have a friend. Anne arrived from Sacramento and she was so little ... reminded me of Buddy when he was young. She has a red band around her leg which helps me tell at once which one she is. Unlike Buddy, she was quite wild but she tamed down within the first 2 weeks. By spring she was in her adult plumage and she bonded closely with Buddy. It is a pleasure to watch him find some tasty morsel and call her over. She is very energetic and boisterous and she explodes in this zig-zag running and jumping. Anne is a wonderful bird and we are delighted to house her in our aviary.