236 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 
The voice of the Grey Junglefowl is very characteristic. The crow of the cock 
must either show great variation in different parts of its range, or, what is more 
probable, the ears of the people who have described it have been at fault, deceived by 
the call of other birds of the jungle, or by the differences caused by distance, certain 
notes being thus altogether inaudible, or much altered as to time and pitch. During 
the breeding season, especially when the weather is cloudy, the cock may call at intervals 
throughout the day, but as a rule in the cold weather its challenges are confined to 
early morning and toward sunset. The crowing seems to extend beyond the actual 
limits of breeding in any one locality, being heard sometimes from October or November 
until May, during the period of most perfect plumage. The utterance is not difficult 
to imitate, and with a very little practice the bird may be made to answer again and 
again. I have never, however, been able to draw the bird within sight or even very 
far in my direction, as is so easily done with other species. 
Disregarding several published descriptions, which fall very wide of the mark, we 
find that one reliable author transcribes it as a broken, shrill a&-d-ak-Rhee ! uttered 
very deliberately and at intervals. This is certainly a very unusual type of crow, if 
it be correct. 
A very careful observer writes me as follows: ‘The crow of the cock (preceded on 
the ground by a flapping of the wings as a rule, but not always) is Kaaa, a-a-doodle-a, 
the first note a scream, but not always uttered; in fact there seems to be no rule as 
to when it precedes the crow and when it does not. There follow two short, staccato 
notes, a double, rather lower note, well described by ‘doodle, which is the emphatic 
syllable of the crow; then another short a, followed, sometimes, by an indrawn note 
which is not heard except at close quarters. Perhaps in the crow as represented above, 
the final a would be better represented by da. The call is uttered, as a rule, from trees 
in the early morning, sometimes even at night, generally when there is moonlight, but 
occasionally even when there is pitch darkness, and is then, as far as I know, never 
preceded by a flapping of wings. The key of the voice is somewhat sharper and higher, 
more staccato than that of the common farmyard fowl. The flapping of the wings 
always precedes the vocal part of the challenge.” 
‘The crow of the male,” says Davidson, “is very peculiar, and might be syllabled, 
‘ Kuck-kaya-kya-kuck, ending with a low, double syllable, like ‘Kyukun, kyukun, 
repeated slowly and very softly, so that it cannot be heard except when one is very 
close to the bird.” This is the best published transcription with which I am familiar. 
Sitting with note-book in hand within a comparatively short distance of a crowing bird, 
and then checking this with repeated observations of the challenge of this Junglefowl 
in captivity, I find the average crow to be as follows, except that perhaps an octave 
higher would be nearer the pitch: 
SN 
ide’ = poe == 
— 
The alarm call consists of three short notes in a high key, like fuck-tuck-tuck or 
kuck-kuck-kuck, the middle syllable, or rather word, for the notes are quite separate, 
emphasized and somewhat higher than the other two. This call means that the cock 
or hen (hers is very slightly different) sees something it does not like, or cannot quite 







