What does a guinea hen sound like?

The female guineafowl or guinea hen has a distinctive call that sounds like "buck-wheat" or "pot-rack." The first note is short and the second is longer with a rising pitch. The male guineafowl has a one-note call that sounds like "chek." Both sexes repeat their calls rapidly when agitated.

Domestic guineafowls descend from the helmeted guineafowl, a species native to Africa. They are raised for their meat, which is more flavorful than chicken meat. They are also raised for pest control and as a lookout system against birds of prey in flocks of domestic poultry. Guineafowls have a sharp alarm cry that sounds like "kek-kek-kek-kek."