A junglefowl fluffs out his feathers. That’s how junglefowl scare off opponents when facing threats - they raise the feathers on their necks and back in order to look larger. This is a common sight in the Hainan tropical rainforest. 

The Red Junglefowl, also known by the scientific name Gallus gallus, is a bird in the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. This ancestor of the domestic chicken is a Class II protected species in China that mainly lives in hills, forests, bushlands, or cultivated areas of the tropics, and is found primarily in southern Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan. 

Male and female junglefowl are easily distinguished by appearance: the male bird’s feathers a bright red or reddish brown with a metallic sheen. In contrast, the female tends to have dull, tan colored feathers and almost no comb. Omnivorous Junglefowl feed primarily on plants and insects. To obtain food, they constantly scratch in the dirt to uncover insects, worms, seeds, and tender plant shoots, and also peck at fruit from nearby trees. The bird’s strong claws are excellent digging tools, and also help it adapt to moving through a variety of complex jungle environments. 

The junglefowl’s neck feathers are always slightly ruffled, as the bird instinctively remains forever vigilant. Falcons circling in the sky above are natural enemies of the junglefowl. When they discover an airborne threat, they go on high alert, quickly jumping to hide in dense vegetation. This is a key survival instinct for life in the wild. 

If puffed out feathers aren’t enough to warn off rivals, a fierce fight between male junglefowl is inevitable. The outcome is usually clear. The loser retreats, while the victor gains territorial sovereignty and mates, ensuring that his genes will be passed on to the next generation.