Cape Town Guinea Fowl

[R2elk]

I think the keets are around four to five weeks old?

That is what they look like to me.

 

[Gill-b]

On the 23rd December, I went for a picnic in the Helderberg Nature Reserve, situated in Somerset West on the slopes of the beautiful Helderberg Mountain overlooking False Bay.

[The Afrikaans word "helder" translates to English as "bright"; and the word "berg" translates to "mountain".
So Helderberg means Bright Mountain.]

I was not surprised to find Guinea Fowl there, but what did surprise me was to find how curious and friendly they are.

2025-12-23 01.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:25 PM

Photo above: A Guinea Fowl coming over to curiously see what I am doing. The Helderberg Mountain in the background.

 

[Gill-b]

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• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

"Oh there you are, my love."

[The signboard on the wall has three languages on it: English on top, Afrikaans on the bottom right, and isiXhosa on the bottom left. The isiXhosa text literally means "place of nature", but would perhaps have a translation meaning of place of Nature Conservation.]

 

[Gill-b]

2025-12-23 03.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

The Guinea Fowl freely wander amongst the guests at the Helderberg Nature Reserve, and sometimes attack cars in the parking lot. When I went to shoo them away from pecking the cars, I had little success, but when a uniformed Nature Reserve Conservationist came over, the Guinea Fowl scattered. They know who is in charge.

 

[Gill-b]

2025-12-23 04.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

Although it is forbidden to feed any wildlife in the Nature Reserve, the Guinea Fowl still come close to humans. Later, when I was back at home, I discovered three ticks which had hitched a ride on myself and my picnic gear. This got me to wondering if the Guineas come close to humans to see if they can find any ticks to snack on? Just a thought.

 

[Gill-b]

2025-12-23 05.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

Hiding in plain sight.

The three keets are well camouflaged.
Also "hiding" is the Guinea behind the tree.

 

[Gill-b]

2025-12-23 06.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

A family unit coming right up for a closer look. Again, look how camouflaged the third keet is at the back next to the tree.

 

[Gill-b]

2025-12-23 07.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

Another thing to note is how quite the Guineas are, much like the Guinea Fowl in my neighbourhood. I could only hear their soft gentle whirls and trills when they came up really close.

 

[CombNWattles]

How sweet!

 

[Gill-b]

I am posting a copy of this image, but with arrows on it to point out the keets just in case you did not see them the first time round?

2025-12-23 05.jpg

• Gill-b
• Saturday at 1:27 PM

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• Gill-b
• Today at 2:11 AM