They may look like ordinary chickens, but these are different from the ones in the States. They came to Mo’orea with the first Polynesians and have been here ever since. Some references call them “jungle fowl,” but they still just look like a different sort of chicken to me. Bright and beautiful, they are everywhere and while not great for eating due to the toughness of their meat, they do produce good eggs.
So why write a post about the “lowly” fowl? For one thing, they love to eat the large centipedes which come out of their crevices when it rains and are likely to come indoors or hide in shoes left outside. The centipedes here have a severely painful sting, much worse than any wasp, so I am told. (I really don’t want to find out!) So, score one for the chickens; I mean jungle fowl.
Without the fowl, the original voyagers might not have made it here. They provided sustenance for the ancient mariners, and their crowing at regular intervals helped keep the person on watch at night awake. Also, they multiplied rapidly on newly discovered islands to provide a sustainable protein source for the people in their newfound home.
All hail the mighty chicken; I mean jungle fowl!
For a prior post about the jungle fowl, see: https://eskildoodle.com/2022/10/19/why-aint-it-just-a-chicken/
#chicken #junglefowl #polynesians #centipedes
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 