''Guttera'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of birds in the family Numididae. Established by

Johann Georg Wagler Johann Georg Wagler (28 March 1800 – 23 August 1832) was a German herpetologist and ornithologist. Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and gave lectures in zoology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich after it was moved t ...

in 1832, it contains four

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

: * Plumed guineafowl, ''Guttera plumifera'' * Eastern crested guineafowl, ''Guttera pucherani'' * Western crested guineafowl, ''Guttera verreauxi'' * Southern crested guineafowl, ''Guttera edouardi'' The name ''Guttera'' is a combination of the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

words ''gutta'', meaning "spot" and ''-fera'', meaning "bearing" (from ''ferre'': to bear). The four species are found in forests of

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. Unlike other guineafowl, they have a distinctive black crest.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1028983 Bird genera