Feral chicken

Feral chickens are derived from domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) who have returned to the wild. Like the red junglefowl (the closest wild relative of domestic chickens), feral chickens will roost in bushes in order to avoid predators at night. ^[1]

A feral rooster on the island of Kauai

A family of feral chickens, Key West, Florida

Feral chickens typically form social groups composed of a dominant cockerel, several hens, and subordinate cocks. Sometimes the dominant cockerel is designated by a fight between cocks.^[2]

Locations famous for feral chickens

America

• Bermuda^[3]
• British Virgin Islands
• Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States
• George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
• Gotha, Florida, United States
• Houston, Texas, United States
• Kauai, Hawaii, United States
• Key West, Florida, United States
• Los Angeles, California, United States
• Maui, Hawaii, United States
• Miami, Florida, United States
• New Orleans, Louisiana, United States^[4]
• Oviedo, Florida, United States
• St. Augustine, Florida, United States
• San Juan Bautista, California, United States
• Vieques, Puerto Rico, United States
• Virgin Islands, U.S.
• Yuba City, California, United States
• Ybor City, Florida, United States

Asia

• Israel, Jaffa

Australasia

• Galston Gorge, Sydney, Australia
• Niue, New Zealand
• Port Chalmers, New Zealand

Europe

• Chicken Roundabout, Bungay, England^[5]
• Nieuw Binckhorst, Den Haag, The Netherlands

Oceania

• Forests of Guam,^[6] although not significantly integrated into the trophic levels in this location^[7]

See also

• Bekisar – a first-generation hybrid offspring of the wild Green junglefowl and domesticated Red junglefowl
• Hollywood Freeway chickens
• Chickens as pets
• Feral pigeon
• Feral parrot