jungle fowl

noun

: any of several Asian wild birds (genus Gallus) related to the pheasants

especially : a bird (G. gallus) of southeastern Asia from which domestic chickens have probably descended

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The bloody pastime may actually explain why jungle fowl were raised in captivity in the first place, perhaps giving rise to the domestic chicken. —

Richard Pallardy, Discover Magazine, 14 July 2021 Most researchers believe that Gallus gallus, the red jungle fowl, was first domesticated in East or Southeast Asia. —

Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2017 Most researchers believe that Gallus gallus, the red jungle fowl, was first domesticated in East or Southeast Asia. —

Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2017 Ever since the red jungle fowl emerged from the forests of south-east Asia and hitched a ride on trading ships to spread around the globe, the story of the chicken has hewn close to our own. —

Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2016 In 2020, a study confirmed that the living chicken’s ancestor was the jungle fowl subspecies, Gallus gallus spaedicus, narrowing the area of domestication to Southeast Asia. —

Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2022 Biologist Charles Darwin first proposed that chickens may have descended from the red jungle fowl because of their similar appearances, per Science. —

Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2022 Chickens may be the most populous bird on the planet while their ancestor, the red jungle fowl, persists only in a few limited habitats. —

Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2022 But many wondered how red jungle fowl—known to be chickens' wild ancestors—could suddenly appear more than 1,000 miles from their native range in Southeast Asia. —

Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 26 May 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jungle fowl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.