I have had a fairly consistent problem keeping my free-ranging red jungle fowl alive even when part of flock with American games. All losses of red jungle fowl appear to have been due to hawks. The red jungle fowl are just a tad bigger than old English bantams while the games are nearly twice as heavy. The jungle fowl are clearly stronger fliers despite the games being pretty impressive in their own right. The size difference is not in my opinion enough to keep the games from being targeted first. Today I think I see what is different that gets the jungle caught. When threatened the games fly low and fast to nearest cover and dive in. The red jungle fowl fly a good 20 feet up and fly horizontally and usually not to closest cover. They fly well but if hawk is already in its attack approach it has more speed and manueverabilty, especially when coming from behind or side. The red jungle fowl are putting themselves up for easy pickings.
Where the red jungle fowl come from almost certainly their approach to avoiding predators is ideal but in a midwestern pasture / fence row setting they are less fit than the larger lumbering games.
Where the red jungle fowl come from almost certainly their approach to avoiding predators is ideal but in a midwestern pasture / fence row setting they are less fit than the larger lumbering games.
