Which farm bird is scientifically known as Numida meleagris?

The farm bird scientifically known as Numida meleagris is the guineafowl.

Numida meleagris is the helmeted guineafowl, the best-known and most widely domesticated guineafowl species. It is native to Africa and is recognized by its dark body, white spotting, bare head, and casque-like structure on the crown.

Guineafowl are raised for meat and eggs and are also valued on farms because they consume many insects. They are active, social birds and can be noisy when alarmed, which has made them useful as alert animals around some homesteads.

The species name can cause confusion because “guinea fowl” may refer broadly to the family Numididae, while Numida meleagris specifically identifies the helmeted species. It is separate from the turkey, despite some superficial similarities.