Introduction

The Red Jungle Fowl are claimed to be the forebears of most of the domestic fowl breeds of today. As such they are of immense value to both the world food sources and economics. Over the centuries these birds have been distributed across the world from their main areas of origins in Asia by explorers, travellers and settlers. Both natural development and selective breeding have contributed to the numerous varieties of fowl which now exist throughout the world. Inbreeding, hybridisation and genetic engineering efforts in recent decades have taken us even further away from these natural birds, the Jungle Fowl. Therefore the small pockets of jungle fowl still living in the wild are almost living dinosaurs and as such should be of great interest and value to the world. These fowl which roam free on islands such as Santa Cruz in the Solomon Islands or Santo in Vanuatu have the added attraction of prompting the question of whether they arrived through ancient human population migrations or unsuccessful colonisation attempts by 16th century Spanish explorers. The wild jungle fowl of Santa Cruz are known to outwardly resemble their counterparts in nearby Vanuatu and Fiji although DNA testing would probably be the only sure way of confirming any connections Did these birds arrive from the north-west with the Austronesian migration or from the north with the Polynesians? Were they further dispersed by inter-island trading trips? If so then why are these birds found only in the Eastern Province of the Solomons and not throughout the whole group? Perhaps these fowls did arrive with Mendana’s ill fated second voyage from Peru in 1595 and were gradually dispersed into nearby Vanuatu through canoe travel. Reference – Isles of Unwisdom by Robert Graves Cassell & Company Ltd London, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney & Wellington Printed by Ebenezer Baylis & Son Ltd The Trinity Press Worcester & London 1950 P122 2nd para4th sentence referring to a warrior from the Marquesas who climbed aboard their boat when they first arrived.” He wore a tall head-dress made from the tail feathers of a cock…” P163 1st para second sentence estimated as four days out from Santa Cristina “The chickens and pigs brought from Peru had by this time all gone into the pot,” ** But did they re-provision the ships from fowl from the Marquesas?? p204 At Graciosa Bay at a feast in their honour, top of page, end of first para…”and, what pleased us of all - great store of roast pork”. Page 207 refers to “pen full of fine pigs” and p210 “took three pigs from a pen” Page 232 last para, at the Santa Cruz settlement “Though the soldiers did not relish the food of the island, except for pork and fowls” The wild pigs in the Eastern Solomons have also been attributed to Mendana but perhaps their origins were along the same path as the fowls! As Mendana and many of the other explorers of the time had either sailed via South America or the Philippines, both of which were under strong Spanish influence at the time, it is most probable that some or all of the poultry were collected at their embarkation ports. If they were collected in the Philippines the fowls would have had a strong Asian or jungle fowl background. If they were brought from South America they could have either had Mediterranean origins or from the older local species. One of which laid a blue shelled egg. Once again DNA testing albeit an expensive tool would be necessary to provide more evidence for origins of these fowls. Whether the fowl that now exist in these islands were from Asian jungle fowl or Mediterranean origins the many centuries which they have roamed free it is not unreasonable to expect that which ever they were they still reverted to the original jungle fowl type. Populations of feral fowls in the north-east of Australia are examples of how quickly these birds revert to their original jungle fowl colouring and appearance if left to their own devices for a few decades. So several centuries of free breeding in the jungles of the Pacific were sure to result in the birds we see today. European settlers and traders have perhaps contributed a little to the bloodlines of these wild birds through their importation of fowls from Australia or New Zealand. However there has been no major European habitation in the Eastern Solomons where these jungle fowl flourish. The continued survival of these wild fowls is not only of environmental, genetic and historical importance but also as a source to toughen the survival characteristics of village poultry in the islands. As 85% of the populations of the Solomon Islands still live in a rural subsistence lifestyle this then also becomes of immense importance to the area. The purpose of the first sample collection of jungle fowl DNA is to have them processed to discover the breeding and origin of the fowl. This will help confirm the history and value of these birds. This confirmation will also encourage additional support for the study and conservation of these valuable fowl. As they have been placed on the protected species of the Wildlife Act scientific background on these fowl will also contribute to the re-education of the people away from hunting the jungle fowl for sport to conservation. As the research program is supported by the Kati Primary School headmaster and students it is a perfect opportunity for education in conservation. view gallery