Galliforms are fowl-like or chicken-like birds that constitute the order Galliformes. This order includes approximately 290 species, the best known of which are turkeys , chickens , quail , partridges , pheasants , and peacocks . Most galliforms are medium-sized birds ranging from pigeon-sized to the size of a domestic chicken, with lengths of 16 to 24 inches and weights of 1 to 5.5 pounds. They are significant to humans as a source of eggs and meat and as game birds.

What types of birds belong to the galliform order?

The galliform order includes fowl-like or chicken-like birds with approximately 290 species. The best-known galliforms are turkeys , chickens , quail , partridges , pheasants , and peacocks (Phasianidae), guinea fowl (Numididae), and grouse (Tetraonidae). Lesser-known members of this order are the megapodes and the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. Galliforms are significant to humans; the chicken was domesticated in southern Asia at least 4,000 years ago. They also constitute the majority of land game birds.

Where are galliform birds commonly found?

Galliforms inhabit diverse vegetational environments, such as dense and open forests, grasslands, scrublands, second-growth forests, and riparian forests. Megapodes dwell in thick jungle habitats, only going into the open to lay eggs on beaches. Mallee fowl are unique to Australia's arid eucalyptus thickets. Most galliforms roost high at night, even ground foragers. Grouse, like ptarmigan , prairie chickens, sage grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse, live in treeless regions, while Eurasian black grouse inhabit open and forested areas. True pheasants , including peafowl, prefer open forests with clearings. Guinea fowl and quail reside in dense tropical forests, and hoatzin are closely linked to water.

What are some physical features of galliform birds?

Galliforms, or gallinaceous birds, are typically medium-sized, ranging from pigeon-sized to the size of a domestic chicken, with a body length of 16 to 24 inches and a weight of 1 to 5.5 pounds. The painted quail is the smallest, at about 5 inches long and 1.5 ounces in weight, while wild turkeys can weigh up to 24 pounds, and the argus pheasant can reach 79 inches in breeding plumage. Most galliforms are heavy-bodied, with short, rounded wings and strong, four-toed feet adapted for ground life. Their bills are short and slightly downcurved. Though their flight is fast, it is rarely sustained for long distances, as most galliforms are sedentary and nonmigratory. Their tails range from very short to strikingly long, sometimes more than two-thirds of the bird's total length in male pheasants. Male ornamental plumage often displays remarkable shapes and colors, with silver, green, or purple iridescence and bright orange, yellow, or white areas.

How do galliform birds behave and what do they eat?

Galliforms inhabit diverse vegetational environments, such as forests, grasslands, and scrublands. Most galliform species are mainly vegetarian, but they also consume insects, worms, and other invertebrates, often using their feet to find food in leaf litter. Gallinaceous birds exhibit varied reproductive behaviors, including monogamy and polygamy. In social displays, male grouse gather in arenas, also called courts, dancing grounds, or leks, to attract females through strange calls and postures. Dominant males often occupy central positions and mate with multiple females. Forest galliformes communicate using strong voices, including alarm calls, food calls, and territorial crowing.

How are galliforms important to people and ecosystems?

Galliforms are the most important avian group for humans. The domestic chicken ( Gallus domesticus ) was domesticated in southern Asia at least 4,000 years ago. Selective breeding has produced over 100 varieties specialized for egg or meat production. In North America and northern Europe, the turkey is second only to the chicken in numbers raised. Guinea fowl are also an important barnyard species, valued for their alarm-giving behavior when predators approach. Galliforms constitute the majority of land game birds. Populations are managed through habitat manipulation and artificial rearing to ensure maximum hunting yields. The common pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus ) was introduced to North America in the 19th century and has become widely established. Several species of quail and partridge provide sport hunting. As birds disperse seeds, they contribute to the repopulation of plants.

Galliform

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Images

A peacock stands with its vibrant green and blue tail feathers fully fanned out in display, showing eye-like patterns across the plumage.

Male common turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), displaying.

white-tailed ptarmigan with winter plumage

white-tailed ptarmigan with summer plumage

Illustration of a sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), showing a plump, brown and white speckled bird with a short beak and an upright, pointed tail.

Galliform

order of birds

Also known as: Galliformes

Written by

François Haverschmidt

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What are galliforms?
Galliforms are fowl-like or chicken-like birds that constitute the order Galliformes. This order includes approximately 290 species, the best known of which are turkeys, chickens, quail, partridges, pheasants, and peacocks.

Most galliforms are medium-sized birds ranging from pigeon-sized to the size of a domestic chicken, with lengths of 16 to 24 inches and weights of 1 to 5.5 pounds. They are significant to humans as a source of eggs and meat and as game birds.
1 Britannica Source
1. galliform
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What types of birds belong to the galliform order?
The galliform order includes fowl-like or chicken-like birds with approximately 290 species. The best-known galliforms are turkeys, chickens, quail, partridges, pheasants, and peacocks (Phasianidae), guinea fowl (Numididae), and grouse (Tetraonidae). Lesser-known members of this order are the megapodes and the chachalacas, guans, and curassows.

Galliforms are significant to humans; the chicken was domesticated in southern Asia at least 4,000 years ago. They also constitute the majority of land game birds.
1 Britannica Source
1. galliform
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where are galliform birds commonly found?
Galliforms inhabit diverse vegetational environments, such as dense and open forests, grasslands, scrublands, second-growth forests, and riparian forests. Megapodes dwell in thick jungle habitats, only going into the open to lay eggs on beaches. Mallee fowl are unique to Australia's arid eucalyptus thickets. Most galliforms roost high at night, even ground foragers. Grouse, like ptarmigan, prairie chickens, sage grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse, live in treeless regions, while Eurasian black grouse inhabit open and forested areas. True pheasants, including peafowl, prefer open forests with clearings. Guinea fowl and quail reside in dense tropical forests, and hoatzin are closely linked to water.
1 Britannica Source
1. galliform: Habitat selection and food habits
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some physical features of galliform birds?
Galliforms, or gallinaceous birds, are typically medium-sized, ranging from pigeon-sized to the size of a domestic chicken, with a body length of 16 to 24 inches and a weight of 1 to 5.5 pounds. The painted quail is the smallest, at about 5 inches long and 1.5 ounces in weight, while wild turkeys can weigh up to 24 pounds, and the argus pheasant can reach 79 inches in breeding plumage.

Most galliforms are heavy-bodied, with short, rounded wings and strong, four-toed feet adapted for ground life. Their bills are short and slightly downcurved. Though their flight is fast, it is rarely sustained for long distances, as most galliforms are sedentary and nonmigratory. Their tails range from very short to strikingly long, sometimes more than two-thirds of the bird's total length in male pheasants. Male ornamental plumage often displays remarkable shapes and colors, with silver, green, or purple iridescence and bright orange, yellow, or white areas.
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1. galliform: Size range and diversity of structure
2. bird: Other external features
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do galliform birds behave and what do they eat?
Galliforms inhabit diverse vegetational environments, such as forests, grasslands, and scrublands. Most galliform species are mainly vegetarian, but they also consume insects, worms, and other invertebrates, often using their feet to find food in leaf litter.

Gallinaceous birds exhibit varied reproductive behaviors, including monogamy and polygamy. In social displays, male grouse gather in arenas, also called courts, dancing grounds, or leks, to attract females through strange calls and postures. Dominant males often occupy central positions and mate with multiple females. Forest galliformes communicate using strong voices, including alarm calls, food calls, and territorial crowing.
1 Britannica Source
1. galliform: Habitat selection and food habits
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are galliforms important to people and ecosystems?
Galliforms are the most important avian group for humans. The domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus) was domesticated in southern Asia at least 4,000 years ago. Selective breeding has produced over 100 varieties specialized for egg or meat production. In North America and northern Europe, the turkey is second only to the chicken in numbers raised. Guinea fowl are also an important barnyard species, valued for their alarm-giving behavior when predators approach.

Galliforms constitute the majority of land game birds. Populations are managed through habitat manipulation and artificial rearing to ensure maximum hunting yields. The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) was introduced to North America in the 19th century and has become widely established. Several species of quail and partridge provide sport hunting. As birds disperse seeds, they contribute to the repopulation of plants.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Galliform, (order Galliformes), any of the gallinaceous (that is, fowl-like or chickenlike) birds. The order includes about 290 species, of which the best-known are the turkeys, chickens, quail, partridge, pheasant and peacock (Phasianidae); guinea fowl (Numididae); and grouse (Tetraonidae). Lesser-known members of the order are the megapodes and the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. Although the hoatzin is treated here with the Galliformes, most taxonomists have assigned it to the family Opisthocomidae (order Cuculiformes).

General features

Size range and diversity of structure

Most galliforms are medium-sized birds, from the size of a pigeon to that of a domestic chicken, 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 inches) long and 500 to 2,500 grams (1 to 5.5 pounds) in weight. The smallest members of the order are the sparrow-sized painted quail (Excalfactoria), about 13 cm (5 inches) long and about 45 grams (about 1.5 ounces) in weight. The heaviest galliform is the common, or wild, turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), wild specimens of which may weigh up to 11 kg (about 24 pounds); the longest is the argus pheasant (Argusianus argus), the male of which reaches 2 metres (79 inches) in breeding plumage, including wing and tail feathers, whose length exceeds one metre.

The majority of gallinaceous birds are heavy-bodied, with short, rounded wings and strong, four-toed feet, adapted for life on the ground; a few, such as cracids and the hoatzin, live mainly in trees. The bill is short and slightly downcurved. The flight is fast but rarely sustained for long distances, most galliforms being sedentary, nonmigratory birds.

Distribution

Some members of the order are found in virtually every habitat in subarctic, temperate, and tropical regions of the larger landmasses, and a few species (such as the ptarmigan, Lagopus) live within the Arctic Circle. The phasianids, the 178 species of which constitute by far the largest family, have nearly the distribution of the order. The cracids, with about 34 species, are restricted to tropical woodlands of Central and South America. The 18 species of grouse are found in northern temperate and Arctic regions of both hemispheres. The remaining groups are more restricted in distribution. The 10 species of megapodes inhabit forests from the East Indies east to the Fiji Islands and south to central Australia. Guinea fowl are restricted to Africa south of the Sahara but have been widely introduced on other continents. The two turkeys are native to North and Central America; the common, or wild, turkey in temperate woodlands of eastern United States and Mexico; and the ocellated turkey (Agriocharis ocellata) in Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) inhabits wooded river edges in northern and eastern South America.

Importance to humans

Gallinaceous birds are unquestionably the most important avian group from the human standpoint. The chicken (Gallus domesticus) was domesticated in southern Asia at least 4,000 years ago from a parental stock of one or more species of jungle fowl (principally G. gallus). Selective breeding has produced well over 100 varieties, most of which are specialized for the production of either eggs or meat. In North America and to a lesser extent in northern Europe, the turkey is raised in numbers second only to those of the chicken. Domestic breeding of the turkey has been primarily for rapid growth and high market weight, the birds being raised solely for meat. Mature toms (males) may reach 23 kg (about 51 pounds). In many parts of the world, guinea fowl are an important barnyard species and are valued for the readiness with which they give alarm at the approach of a predator. (For a complete account of domestic gallinaceous birds, see poultry farming.)

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Galliform birds constitute the large majority of land game birds, in number both of species and of individuals. Populations in North America and in western Europe are often carefully managed through habitat manipulation, supplemental feeding, and artificial rearing to ensure maximum hunting yields. The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus, called the ring-necked pheasant in the United States) was introduced in North America late in the 19th century and has become widely established. Several species of quail (especially those of the genera Coturnix and Colinus) and partridge (Perdix and Alectoris) provide much sport hunting. A widespread tendency in game bird management has been the introduction of species to areas where they have not been found previously.

The North American wild turkey, once nearly exterminated by overhunting, has responded to careful management and is now taken in fair numbers in the hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Grouse (including ptarmigan) are hunted throughout their range.

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Galliform

General features

Size range and diversity of structure

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Distribution

Importance to humans