
In central India the birds often occupy sal and adjacent teak-bamboo 
forests. In Nepal, the junglefowl often is found in scrub at the forest 
edge, particularly the prickly "jherberi" (Zizyphus) bushes and to 
bamboo groves and mixed deciduous forests in stony foothill country 
broken by shallow valleys. In Assam, a mixture of evergreen and deciduous 
forests, often long distances from hill country, are utilized. It 
seems to avoid pure coniferous forests and wet or boggy ground. 
Climatic Comparisons 
The climate prevailing in the range of the red junglefowl 
in India finds its counterpart mainly in deep South from eastern 
Texas to Florida and north to eastern South Carolina. Even then it 
is only approximately analogous because, in India, there are heavy 
summer and light winter monsoons with dry periods between. Likewise, 
temperatures in all but the hilly, colder parts of the range are usually 
higher in winter than are those in many parts of the southern United 
States. On the other hand, wild junglefowl will stand short periods 
in which night temperatures fall to 20°F. or below and in captivity, 
have survived down to zero. 
Junglefowl are common in India where the rainfall occurs 
principally from June through September, sometimes in the form of 
torrential downpours. From October to May, forest areas become increasingly 
dry, though light rains usually offer some relief from December through 
March. At the higher elevations and in Assam, precipitation is higher 
and better distributed throughout the year except for a dry period in 
the fall. Average annual rainfall in junglefowl country varies from 
40 inches on the plains to 129 inches in Assam. There is heavy dew 
during the dry periods. Snow is unusual and of short duration. 
Warm to hot, humid summers and mild winters appear well- 
suited for junglefowl. Spring and fall are hot and dry with temperatures 
from 90°to 100°F. not uncommon. Summers are cooler and wet with daytime 
temperatures ranging between 80°and 95°F.; average minimums seldom fall 
below 45°F., although frosts at night are not uncommon. Some junglefowl 
winter up to 3,000 feet, where it is somewhat colder, but winter temperatures 
over most of the range seldom go below freezing. 
Climacurvic comparisons of junglefowl range with climatically 
similar areas in the United States are not presented here because of 
the paucity of weather records from the Himalayan foothill country in 
many parts of which the species is common. In their place is presented 
a map (Fig. 1) indicating the areas in southeastern United States within 
which the climate might be suitable for trial introductions. 
