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Homescience

Meet Red Junglefowl: The World’s oldest chicken breed still in existence

Meet the Red Junglefowl, the wild and vibrant ancestor of all domestic chickens. With roots in Southeast Asia, this ancient bird still thrives, carrying a legacy that spans thousands of years.

Sheetal Kumari | July 28, 2025 / 17:29 IST
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Meet Red Junglefowl: Discover the ancient bird that gave rise to every domesticated chicken we know today. (Image: Canva)
Meet Red Junglefowl: Discover the ancient bird that gave rise to every domesticated chicken we know today. (Image: Canva)
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The First "Chicken": Prior to farm chickens, there was the Red Junglefowl—the ancestor of the age-old mystery and each clucking bird in your backyard. (Image: Canva)
The First "Chicken": Prior to farm chickens, there was the Red Junglefowl—the ancestor of the age-old mystery and each clucking bird in your backyard. (Image: Canva)
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Wild Origins in Southeast Asia: Indigenous to Southeast Asia, this bird from the tropics inhabited dense forests years before it entered human history. (Image: Canva)
Wild Origins in Southeast Asia: Indigenous to Southeast Asia, this bird from the tropics inhabited dense forests years before it entered human history. (Image: Canva)
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Originally Domesticated for Fighting: Chickens weren't originally kept for eggs or meat—but for cockfighting. The Red Junglefowl was selectively bred for vigor and ferocity. (Image: Canva)
Originally Domesticated for Fighting: Chickens weren't originally kept for eggs or meat—but for cockfighting. The Red Junglefowl was selectively bred for vigour and ferocity. (Image: Canva)
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From Fighters to Food: Not until 3,500 years ago were chickens cherished for eggs and meat and distributed far beyond Asia through commerce. (Image: Canva)
From Fighters to Food: Not until 3,500 years ago were chickens cherished for eggs and meat and distributed far beyond Asia through commerce. (Image: Canva)
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Flashy Plumage, Tough Flight: Males have brilliant red, gold, and green feathers. They are trim, swift, and in contrast to barn chickens, fly and roost in trees. (Image: Canva)
Flashy Plumage, Tough Flight: Males have brilliant red, gold, and green feathers. They are trim, swift and in contrast to barn chickens, fly and roost in trees. (Image: Canva)
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Nature's Pecking Order: Red Junglefowl groups have a rigid social pecking order. Dominance determines food, mates, and life—a carryover from their brawling history. (Image: Canva)
Nature's Pecking Order: Red Junglefowl groups have a rigid social pecking order. Dominance determines food, mates, and life—a carryover from their brawling history. (Image: Canva)
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Females Built for Survival: Hens possess duller feathers to camouflage themselves when nesting, providing natural cover that guards their eggs from predators. (Image: Canva)
Females Built for Survival: Hens possess duller feathers to camouflage themselves when nesting, providing natural cover that guards their eggs from predators. (Image: Canva)
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Descendants of Fame: The present-day White Leghorn and Jersey Giant hens have Junglefowl DNA, developed for egg or meat production but tracing back to a single wild ancestor. (Image: Canva)
Descendants of Fame: The present-day White Leghorn and Jersey Giant hens have Junglefowl DNA, developed for egg or meat production but tracing back to a single wild ancestor. (Image: Canva)
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The Dinosaur Connection: Not only ancient—this bird is the link to dinosaurs, the scientists tracing its ancestry to the giant theropods. (Image: Canva)
The Dinosaur Connection: Not only ancient—this bird is the link to dinosaurs, the scientists tracing its ancestry to the giant theropods. (Image: Canva)

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