Rhode Island State Bird
Rhode Island Red (common name)  Gallus gallus (scientific name) Overview The Rhode Island red is America's best-known breed of chicken and one of the most popular types of domesticated fowl in the world. In 1954 it was designated the state bird of Rhode Island. The birds are red in more ways than one: their feathers range from rust-colored to a maroon-ish black; their eyes are red-orange; and they have reddish-brown beaks. Like most other domestic chickens, the Rhode Island red has yellow feet and flaps of bare red skin near its bill and forehead.  Males are much larger than females and have red wattles on their head and a "cape" of gold and bronze feathers on the back and lower back. The tail is composed of long, arching, iridescent black feathers that shimmer with green, blue, and purple. Roosters have a long spur on their lower leg, which is used in fights against other roosters. The female's plumage is pale brown, and she lacks head wattles. All domesticated chickens consume a diet of grain, although free-range chickens pick food off the ground and probe beneath the soil for seeds and grubs. Chickens have a wide range of calls to communicate and to alert their fellow birds to predators. A female Rhode Island red can produce up to 300 eggs per year. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS Domestic chicken PHYSICAL DETAILS    Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 24 in (60 cm) Wing from flexure: 20 in (51 cm) Length of tail: 3 1/4 in (8.25 cm) Length to end of tail: 20 in (51 cm) Wing from flexure: 15 in (38 cm) Length of tail: 2 1/2 in (6.35 cm)  Weight 8.5 lb (4 kg) 6.5 lb (3 kg) BEHAVIOR During the mating season male birds try to attract females with their "cock-a-doodle-doo" calls. Males will also flirt with females with a display called "tid-bitting" in which the male coaxes the female to pick up a piece of grain he has given to her. The male clucks and bobs his head to catch the female’s eye. The display ends when the hen takes the food either from the ground or from the male’s beak. This action is often a direct precursor to mating. Like other domesticated chickens, the Rhode Island red can’t really fly. It can jump and flap to perches above the ground. The chicken’s wild ancestor, the red junglefowl, is more like a pheasant and can fly for hundreds of yards. HABITAT Farms and pastures Migration: Non-migratory Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) NESTING Nesting Period: summer months Size of Clutch: 8–12 eggs Incubation Period: 19–21 days Egg Description: Light brown to dark brown SIMILAR SPECIES red jungle fowl TRIVIA Like all domestic chickens, the Rhode Island red is descended from the red jungle fowl found in tropical and subtropical parts of South and Southeast Asia. Domestication of the bird has long been believed to date from 5,000–7,000 years ago in India. This particular breed is a cross between red Malay and Shanghai chickens bred in Rhode Island in the mid-1800s. Rhode Island reds are primarily used for egg production, although their meat is highly prized as well. These valuable qualities have led to its popularity around the world. Rhode Island reds are friendly chickens that are sometimes kept as pets for children, although they will peck when annoyed. In the small farms of their native Southeast Asia, they are a valued part of the family farm, and they are even trained to be taken into the forest by hunters in order to lure prey with their crowing.
	Click to enlarge an image Rhode Island Red Rooster Rhode Island Red Hen Rhode Island Red Close-up Rhode Island Red Chick CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Gallus Species: G. gallus Subspecies: G. g. domesticus
	Author: World Trade Press