Harbinger of dawn: the red jungle fowl

By: Sanjeeb Baruah

Thousands of years ago, the crowing bird “red jungle fowl” with its inimitable and imposing features enticed some of the most extraordinary fables written on the mythological history across nations and continents.

In India’s northeastern state of Assam, the folklore of the famous Kamakhya temple from the times of yore celebrated this virtuous fowl for its help offered to the goddess Kamakhya when she wanted to trick a demon to avoid self ignominy. The allegory describes how a powerful demon proposed to marry the goddess and unable to turn down the offer, she tricked the demon to construct a temple overnight. The ante was to finish the work before dawn, if successful she would marry him and failing which, the demon would perish.


However, soon she realized that the demon had finished large portion of the work much before the set time. At this, she sought help from her trusted ‘fowl’ friend to rescue her from disgrace. The fowl crowed ahead of the sunrise signifying the daybreak, which finally brought the end of the demon.

It is also believed that long before the birth of Christ, the majestic fowl appeared in the court of Pharaohs in the valley of the Blue Nile. The Egyptians were enthralled at its ability to lay so many eggs and when it crowed neither the architectural grandeur of the court nor the ‘gold-draped’ Pharaohs could silhouette its beauty.  

The Zoroastrian communities of northern Iran regarded the fowl as the Herald of Dawn and the guardian of good over evil. The call of the fowl meant liberation from darkness and so profound was the veneration that it forbade the eating of the fowl.

In ancient China, the rooster was regarded as one of the twelve astrological signs of the Chinese calendar. The Romans considered it as sacred to Mars, the God of war, while Plato wrote of people cock-fighting instead of laboring. Somewhere in Africa, it was ascribed as the architect of the earth.

Ancient mural and seal inscriptions of the Mohenjodaro and the Harappan period that demonstrate the popular sport “fighting cocks” are also evident of the bird’s popularity among the natives who promoted these stately birds for contests.   
 
The red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus spp) has originated in Asia along with four other jungle fowls of the genus Gallus; the other three being grey (Gallus sonnerati), green (Gallus varius) and Ceylon (Gallus lafayettei).

One distinctive trait of a jungle fowl is the presence of an eclipse moult in males. Among females, the absence of the comb helps to distinguish it from the domestic breed. Other physical characteristics of the color of the legs, carriage of tail, spur length in males etc. are demonstrated depending upon their geographical locations. The red comb and colorful plumes are common to both domestic and those found in the wild.

These birds are found associated with Sal forests and cultivated lands up to an elevation of 2000 meters. It usually prefers the sun-drenched areas where there is abundance of grains, seeds, and insects to feed. Dense forest canopies are generally avoided except for resting. The species are commonly found in parts of Northern, Central and North eastern India.

Recent findings by scientists abroad suggest that the RJF has been genetically contaminated over the years and there might be no pure strain of the fowl left in the wild. Such concerns have raised parallel reactions in India, whether regular inter-breeding with the domestic breed has threatened the species in the wild.

Eminent bird expert and Director of the Wild Species programme of WTI, Dr. Rahul Kaul said, “Although we have found apparently pure species held in captivity in Indian zoos, wild populations need to be studied for any genetic contamination. The status of jungle fowl may be threatened as a result of hybridization with domestic chicken.”

In the light of the poor research and conservation of the species, actual facts and figures on the genetic purity of the species would be difficult to establish. The subject of genetic purity of the fowl was further highlighted in a paper; “Genetic endearment of wild red jungle fowl Gallus gallus?” published in 1998 in Bird Conservation International by two US scientists, A. Townseed Peterson and Lehr Brisbin. As per the report, 99 percent of the captive population and potentially all of wild populations are contaminated by the introgression of genes from domestic or feral chicken.  

A male plumage, which appeared to be an indicator of pure wild genotypes, was found in populations in the western and central portions of the species’ range, but not in the easternmost populations. Eclipse plumages probably disappeared from extreme south-eastern Asia and the Philippines much before the scientific research actually began (about 1860) and in Malaysia since the 1920s. Furthermore, populations exhibiting eclipse plumages were found in north-eastern India as late as the 1960s, but the dense human populations make their continuing genetic integrity uncertain.

The paper notes that human influence and contact with domestic stocks appear to have been most intense, or to have occurred over the longest period of time, in South-east Asia. A cline for age of disappearance of eclipse extends from India (1960s) through Malaysia (1920s or 1930s) to Vietnam and the Philippines (before 1860). The Philippines and other islands may have been “seeded” with jungle fowl previously modified by early human colonists, and hence hold jungle fowl populations that were genetically contaminated from the outset.    

In 1868, Charles Darwin’s monophyletic theory of tracing origin to one ancestor described the red jungle fowl (RJF) as the sole ancestor of all domestic chicken. He held the view that among other factors, the domestic fowls mated freely with RJF and offspring from this were fertile. Though a second theory of polyphyletic origin (many ancestors) was also promulgated by other scholars at the time held the view that Ceylon, grey and green fowl might have also contributed to the growth of domestic fowl. The former view is held by the majority.

The domestication of the RJF in India is thought to have started some 4000 thousand years ago. It is considered that the Indo-Aryans who were the inhabitants of northwest India at the time probably introduced them to Persia, the modern day Iran. It soon spread globally with the flourishing poultry trade. From Persia these birds were carried to central and east Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Widespread domestication of the bird has contributed to the growth of domestic poultry industry in various countries.

Furthermore, selective breeding in domestic chickens to increase meat and egg yield to suit our fervent palate has reduced its immunity to fight diseases. According to Kaul, “natural selection pressures operating in the wild ensure that best traits are selected for a species survival in the wild. Consequently, they are more resistant to diseases and can thus contribute to the domestic poultry industry.”  

The domestic chicken that constitute a multi billion dollar poultry industry worldwide will profit more from the jungle fowl (the only source of pure stock) due to its superior qualities to fight diseases. Hence, it is important to keep the wild population free from genetic swamping by the domestic fowl.

The ubiquitous red jungle fowl of yesteryears is on the way out soon, before we would realize the loss from its untimely exit from earth. Conservation of the fowl, which symbolizes a divine spirit in the annals of history, would carry on adding to the glory of jungle lores in the years to come. 

Pix credit: J. N. Shah / John Corder