{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.numididae","code":"thing-q171953","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q171953/","name":"Numididae","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Numididae is the family of African galliforms known as guineafowl, native mainly to sub-Saharan Africa but with a native North African range also occurring in helmeted guineafowl: four living genera of terrestrial, ground-nesting, insect- and seed-eating birds with typically unfeathered heads (casque, wattles, crest, or a vulturine nape patch) and, in most species, dark plumage densely spotted or vermiculated with white.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise guineafowl as members of Numididae, assess the condition of identified birds or populations, and determine which observations or interventions their circumstances support.","scope":{"in":["Taxonomic membership and uncertainty in assigning birds to Numididae.","Guineafowl identification using morphology, vocalisations and supporting provenance.","Life stage, reproductive condition, mobility and observable welfare of member birds.","Flock composition, ground use, roosting and habitat relationships.","Wild, captive, domestic and feral contexts that affect interpretation and action."],"out":["Complete species and subspecies monographs or independent copies of their models.","General Galliformes anatomy and the classification of neighbouring bird families.","Poultry enterprise economics, meat processing and egg-product quality.","Veterinary diagnosis, treatment protocols and pathogen models.","Habitat management plans and jurisdiction-specific wildlife regulations as independent subjects."],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Check that the resolved scientific name belongs to Numididae rather than relying on the common word 'fowl'; Numididae is a family within Galliformes. [NCBI Taxonomy](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?command=show&id=8990&mode=node)","For a helmeted-guineafowl candidate, test the combination of a bony casque, partly bare head, wattles and finely white-spotted dark plumage against chicken, turkey and other galliform alternatives; no single feature establishes family membership. [Animal Diversity Web](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Numida_meleagris/)","Before rejecting a young helmeted-guineafowl candidate, account for its less-developed casque and wattles and less conspicuous spotting; adult appearance is not a valid universal age-independent test. [Animal Diversity Web](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Numida_meleagris/)","For birds without the helmeted combination, require an identification key covering other Numididae members rather than equating Numididae with Numida meleagris.","Compare an attributable recording with species-labelled reference calls when appearance is inconclusive; flocking, ground feeding or a harsh call alone cannot separate guineafowl from other galliform birds."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"guineafowl-taxonomic-boundary","name":"Guineafowl taxonomic boundary","description":"Establish what the family designation includes and how it applies to a particular record.","layers":[{"id":"family-circumscription","name":"Family circumscription","description":"Resolve membership against an explicitly selected classification.","findings":[{"id":"accepted-numididae-membership","name":"Accepted Numididae membership","description":"Record the authority and taxon concept supporting inclusion, retaining disagreements between classifications.","questions":[{"text":"Which classification and version determine the genera and species included in Numididae?","id":"accepted-numididae-membership-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does the supplied name resolve to this family, a member species, a domestic designation or a different galliform taxon?","id":"accepted-numididae-membership-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"evidence-applicability","name":"Evidence applicability","description":"Separate family-level statements from evidence about particular guineafowl.","findings":[{"id":"species-to-family-transfer","name":"Species-to-family transfer","description":"Require an explicit applicability judgement before transferring observations about one member to another.","questions":[{"text":"Does this claim concern Numididae generally, one species, a domestic line or a particular flock?","id":"species-to-family-transfer-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What evidence supports applying this claim beyond the guineafowl population originally studied?","id":"species-to-family-transfer-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"guineafowl-recognition","name":"Guineafowl recognition","description":"Organise observable evidence for distinguishing guineafowl and resolving member taxa.","layers":[{"id":"visible-identification","name":"Visible identification","description":"Combine head structures, plumage and proportions rather than relying on one conspicuous trait.","findings":[{"id":"diagnostic-feature-combination","name":"Diagnostic feature combination","description":"Preserve positive, absent and unobservable features separately for each candidate identification.","questions":[{"text":"Which casque or crest, bare-skin, wattle and plumage features are actually visible?","id":"diagnostic-feature-combination-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which combination separates this candidate from other guineafowl, chickens, turkeys and locally plausible galliform birds?","id":"diagnostic-feature-combination-q02","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Could life stage, moult or a documented domestic colour variant explain an apparent mismatch?","id":"diagnostic-feature-combination-q03","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"supporting-identification-evidence","name":"Supporting identification evidence","description":"Use calls and documented origin to test visual assignments.","findings":[{"id":"call-and-origin-corroboration","name":"Call and origin corroboration","description":"Link recordings and locality evidence to the observed bird while keeping them distinct from proof of identity.","questions":[{"text":"Can the recorded call be attributed to this bird and matched to a verified species reference?","id":"call-and-origin-corroboration-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Does locality support the candidate, or could captive origin, escape or introduction explain the occurrence?","id":"call-and-origin-corroboration-q02","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What additional non-invasive evidence would resolve the remaining identification alternatives?","id":"call-and-origin-corroboration-q03","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"guineafowl-condition-and-breeding","name":"Guineafowl condition and breeding","description":"Assess functioning, development and reproductive dependence in identified member birds.","layers":[{"id":"development-and-function","name":"Development and function","description":"Interpret body condition and behaviour against species and life stage.","findings":[{"id":"stage-adjusted-condition","name":"Stage-adjusted condition","description":"Record mass trends and observable feeding and movement, distinguishing untested abilities from impairment.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence distinguishes a keet, juvenile and adult in the assigned species?","id":"stage-adjusted-condition-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What changes in mass, gait, feeding, plumage or alertness are observed relative to this bird's previous state?","id":"stage-adjusted-condition-q02","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which observed deficits require specialist assessment before handling or movement is considered?","id":"stage-adjusted-condition-q03","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"nest-and-brood-dependence","name":"Nest and brood dependence","description":"Connect eggs and young to observed nesting and attendance without assuming a universal breeding schedule.","findings":[{"id":"reproductive-unit-state","name":"Reproductive unit state","description":"Record nest activity, brood composition and attendance evidence needed to judge disturbance or separation.","questions":[{"text":"What observations establish active nesting, incubation or attendance of young?","id":"reproductive-unit-state-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which nearby birds, eggs or keets have an evidenced relationship to this reproductive unit?","id":"reproductive-unit-state-q02","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Would the proposed visit, capture or relocation separate dependent young or disturb an active nest?","id":"reproductive-unit-state-q03","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"guineafowl-flocks-and-habitat","name":"Guineafowl flocks and habitat","description":"Describe how identified guineafowl use feeding areas, cover, roosts and social groups.","layers":[{"id":"ground-use-and-roost-access","name":"Ground use and roost access","description":"Connect observed activities to resources and accessible refuge.","findings":[{"id":"functional-habitat-use","name":"Functional habitat use","description":"Record feeding substrates, consumed items, cover and actual roost use without importing one species' habitat preferences.","questions":[{"text":"Where and on what does this guineafowl group actually forage?","id":"functional-habitat-use-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which resting or roosting sites are used, and what evidence shows that the birds can reach them?","id":"functional-habitat-use-q02","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Would a proposed habitat or enclosure change remove a demonstrated feeding area, refuge or roost?","id":"functional-habitat-use-q03","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"flock-dynamics-and-detection","name":"Flock dynamics and detection","description":"Interpret group changes alongside season, breeding state and observation conditions.","findings":[{"id":"interpretable-flock-change","name":"Interpretable flock change","description":"Distinguish measured group changes from missed birds, repeated counts or altered visibility.","questions":[{"text":"How many birds and young were observed, with what effort, visibility and risk of double-counting?","id":"interpretable-flock-change-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Could apparent isolation or flock reduction reflect breeding, movement or detection conditions rather than loss?","id":"interpretable-flock-change-q02","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Which repeat observation would help distinguish these explanations without disrupting the group?","id":"interpretable-flock-change-q03","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"guineafowl-management-decisions","name":"Guineafowl management decisions","description":"Connect origin, exposure and population context to defensible interventions.","layers":[{"id":"origin-and-managed-contact","name":"Origin and managed contact","description":"Establish provenance and relevant contact with other birds before movement or mixing.","findings":[{"id":"provenance-and-contact-state","name":"Provenance and contact state","description":"Keep evidence of management, ownership and contact separate from assumptions based on tameness or location.","questions":[{"text":"What records or observations support wild, domestic, captive or feral status for these birds?","id":"provenance-and-contact-state-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What recent contact with poultry, transported birds or unfamiliar guineafowl groups is documented?","id":"provenance-and-contact-state-q02","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What provenance or specialist assessment is missing before these birds can be moved or mixed with another flock?","id":"provenance-and-contact-state-q03","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"population-sensitive-intervention","name":"Population-sensitive intervention","description":"Evaluate proposed action for the identified taxon, locality and affected birds.","findings":[{"id":"intervention-eligibility","name":"Intervention eligibility","description":"Link capture, relocation, release or husbandry changes to a stated objective and externally established requirements.","questions":[{"text":"Which species- and location-specific conservation assessment or documented threat applies to this population?","id":"intervention-eligibility-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What outcome is intended, and how would intervention affect flock relationships, dependent young and recipient populations?","id":"intervention-eligibility-q02","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which applicable permissions and competence requirements are established, and which remain unresolved?","id":"intervention-eligibility-q03","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Numididae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Report guineafowl observations to recognized wildlife recording schemes.","Describe species and their status from conservation sources.","Care for domestic guineafowl following welfare guidance at the keeper's request."],"mustNot":["Disturb nests or flush birds in the wild.","Assist in hunting or trading wild guineafowl in breach of wildlife law.","Keep domestic birds in conditions that harm their welfare."],"requiresHuman":["Culling or rehoming domestic flocks."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Wild species face habitat loss and hunting pressure in parts of Africa.","Guineafowl are an important source of food and income for rural households."],"affectedParties":["Wild guineafowl","Rural households","Domestic birds"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody for wild birds, protected by law where listed; the keeper for domestic birds.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Global species assessment and bird population databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q178559","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.numididae","Wikidata: Q171953 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171953)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Taxonomic assignment: Accepted taxon, authority, version and resolution: family, genus, species or unresolved","Identification confidence: Supported, provisional, conflicting or unresolved; linked observations","Head and neck configuration: Casque, crest, wattles, bare-skin extent and colour; absent, present or unobservable","Plumage pattern: Spotting, striping, colour patches and feather distribution by body region","Life stage: Egg, keet, juvenile, adult or unknown","Body mass: g, with date, method and species/life-stage context","Locomotor and feeding condition: Observed walking, running, flight, balance and feeding performance; impairment or unknown","Flock composition: Bird count by identified taxon and life stage, with uncertainty and survey effort","Occurrence and management context: Wild, captive, domestic, feral or unknown; native/introduced status recorded separately","Breeding condition: Unknown, no breeding observed, courtship, nesting, incubation or brood attendance"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Plump ground birds with dark plumage covered in white spots.","Bare heads with a bony casque, wattles or crest depending on species."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identify a guineafowl observation to the finest defensible taxonomic level and retain unresolved alternatives.","Collect photographs, attributable calls and repeat counts without deliberately provoking alarm or flushing.","Compare condition and growth observations against references appropriate to the identified species and life stage.","Track flock, brood and roost observations to flag changes requiring investigation.","Assess proposed handling, housing, movement or release using identification, dependence, origin and applicable external permissions.","Route uncertain identification, injury or unusual mortality to the appropriate specialist with supporting evidence."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Infected birds or contaminated housing can transmit pathogens to other birds and expose people to disease.","Handling and defensive behavior can result in scratches, peck injuries or injury to the birds.","Poor housing, nutrition or flock management can cause stress, disease and preventable mortality."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, issued by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, governs the scientific naming of Numididae and its constituent taxa.","The Terrestrial Animal Health Code, issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health, provides relevant animal health standards when guineafowl are kept or traded as poultry."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Guineafowl are encountered in African terrestrial habitats and, for domesticated forms, on farms and smallholdings elsewhere.","They are observed in ecological surveys and wildlife management, while domestic birds are kept for meat, eggs and sometimes insect control."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Guinea fowl","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_fowl","note":"Family circumscription, four genera, living species list, morphology, African endemism, and phylogenetic placement among Galliformes."},{"title":"Guineafowl (Numididae), version 1.0, in Birds of the World","url":"https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/numidi1/cur/introduction","note":"Eight-species, four-genus treatment; habitat split between well-known savanna species and poorly known forest species; IUCN status mix (mostly Least Concern, one Vulnerable)."},{"title":"Numididae - systematic classification (IOC World Bird List v15.1)","url":"https://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/famille.numidides.html","note":"Current IOC species list of eight guineafowl in four genera, including the three-way split of crested Guttera."},{"title":"Numididae Reichenbach, 1850","url":"https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/DFV","note":"Accepted family status and cross-identifiers (Wikidata, ITIS, GBIF, iNaturalist, Avibase, IRMNG)."},{"title":"Category:Numididae","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Numididae","note":"Authority file and taxonomic identifiers: Wikidata Q171953, NCBI 8990, ITIS TSN 176121, GBIF 5260."},{"title":"Multivariate characterisation of morpho-biometric traits of indigenous helmeted Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Nigeria","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261048","note":"Village production systems and adult body-mass range for indigenous helmeted guineafowl."},{"title":"Characterisation of indigenous helmeted guinea fowls in Nigeria for meat and egg production","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00439339.2021.1974287","note":"Flock size, 14-week live and dressed weights, dressing percentage, and annual egg yield under backyard versus intensive management."},{"title":"Western Crested Guineafowl Guttera verreauxi species factsheet","url":"http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/western-crested-guineafowl-guttera-verreauxi/text","note":"BirdLife/IUCN assessment practice for a crested taxon and the absence of CITES listing on that factsheet."},{"title":"White-breasted guinea fowl","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-breasted_guinea_fowl","note":"Vulnerable status, West African forest range, and threats from habitat loss and hunting for Agelastes meleagrides."},{"title":"Numida meleagris","url":"https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/numida-meleagris/?lang=en","note":"Helmeted guineafowl length, mass, clutch size, and egg dimensions."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q171953: Numididae","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171953","note":"identity and sense of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Which current taxonomic authority should define Numididae membership, and how should disagreements over member species or subspecies be represented?","Which identification keys and verified call collections adequately cover all member taxa, immature birds and documented domestic variants?","Which body-condition, growth and behavioural references are validated for each species and life stage rather than extrapolated from helmeted guineafowl?","How do breeding, flocking, habitat and roost requirements vary across member taxa and regions, especially where field evidence is sparse?","Which locality-specific evidence establishes population origin, conservation pressures and eligibility for capture, movement or release?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q171953/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q171953/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T11:23:28Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-08T18:54:36+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 7 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}