Guineafowl are the quintessential African bird - you can find their image on many crafts and drawings at the markets. Their feathers are absolutely gorgeous, though their scrawny, wrinkly blue heads are the sort that only a mother could love.
Though not native to the US, we used to have a flock of them at a summer camp I worked at years ago. They earned a reputation for being intelligent and loyal with a bit of a mean streak. I can recall a few instances times when young campers would run at the birds and watch them scatter, only to see them regroup and charge the poor, shocked kid moments later. When one bird was killed by a coyote, the flock was visibly upset, gathering around its body and mourning their fallen comrade. This sense of companionship runs deep - Wikipedia tells me they mate for life.
In South Africa they're largely wild. This was one of a pair I spotted on a recent hike.
