When most of us think about poultry, our minds often turn to chickens, the staple of farms and dinner tables worldwide. However, Nigeria is home to several other fascinating types of poultry beyond the humble chicken that have played significant roles in the country’s agriculture, culture, and economy. While these poultry species are firmly embedded in the Nigerian agricultural system, the history of how and when these animals came to be domesticated and where these populations originally derived from is often obscure. Recent research conducted by Dr. Adeniyi Charles Adeola of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and colleagues, has shed new light on three often-overlooked poultry species, the Muscovy duck, the domestic pigeon, and the helmeted guinea fowl. These birds not only offer valuable genetic resources but also hold keys to food security, sustainable farming, and biodiversity conservation.
