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Helmeted Guinea Fowl Color Chart

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Helmeted Guinea Fowl Colors
(Numida meleagris)

Color Varieties varying from Fully Pearled (dotted), Partially Pearled, to Solid

Three Colors* Recognized in the Standard of Perfection for Showing Guinea Fowl

**Click on thumbnails to enlarge pictures**

Fully Pearled	Partially Pearled	Solid
Pearl Gray* Original color of guineas - Dark gray background with white pearling on entire body	Royal Purple Very dark color with purplish look in the sun - Pearling on lower wings and flanks	Violet Dark solid color - Sun brings out the violet sheen - Similar to Royal Purple without pearling
Pied Pearl Gray Usual color of Pied sold by hatcheries	Bronze Variance of Royal Purple - Black color with bronze cast over shoulders, back, neck and chest - Reddish color on primary wing feathers	Slate Solid steel gray color with cream highlights over shoulders/back
Lavender* Steel gray or lavender color with pearling over entire body as in Pearl Gray	Coral Blue Soft blue color with air-brushed blue around edges of feathers	Sky Blue Same soft blue color as Coral Blue but without any pearling
Lite Lavender Light variance of Lavender - Color right between Lavender and Porcelain	Lite Blue Light variance of Coral Blue - Color right between Coral Blue and Opaline	Powder Blue Solid light blue color
Porcelain Variance of Lavender - Very pale pastel blue with white pearling over most of body	Opaline Near-white color with pale icy blue cast - Very faint pearling on wings and flanks	White* Solid white color
Brown Pearling is quite bold with dark brown areas mixed with light tan color of body	Chocolate Similar to Brown displaying less pearling - Brown color in more patches	Copper New color being developed - More information coming soon
Buff Dundotte Soft tan color with pearling over entire body - Females darker than males	Buff Soft tan color all over varying from near white to light tan - Females darker than males	Pewter Pewter gray color - Sometimes streaky but without any pearling
	Blonde Soft brown color - Lighter than Chocolate but deeper than Buff	Pastel Same base color as Pewter but with a tan tint instead of the gray tone

Guinea Fowl Keet Colors

Trying to decide what color keets you have? Give them time to dry and fluff and just look at the top of their heads. There are three main groups to narrow this ID down: pearled, partially pearled, and solid. Pearled means dots appear over the entire body as your keet matures into an adult guinea. Partially pearled is just that, usually dots on parts of lower wings and flanks. Solid is void of any markings. Remember the head is where to start; then check the body, belly and wing colors. There is another group that can be found with any color, Pied, which means white feathers varying in different amounts and areas ranging from a few feathers on the chest to full white chest and wings. Any color can be "pied" with white feathering.

Key to Guinea Fowl Keet Colors

Upper pictures in each box are older keets feathering out showing pearling or solid colors. On most, head markings are visible.

Pearled Head marked with one broad stripe, two smaller on each side	Partially Pearled Head marked with irregular lines/stripes	Solid Head solid color/no stripes
Pearl Gray Brown striped body with darker broad stripe on head, smaller on each side - Notice signs of full pearling on older keet	Royal Purple Brown striped body with white on face, wings and belly	Violet Rusty colored body with white face, wings and belly

	Bronze Very similar to above Royal Purple keet - May have rusty tinge on wing	Slate Dark rust colored body with some white on belly and throat

Lavender Light lavender color with markings same as Pearl Gray keet	Coral blue Light blue color body with white on wings, face and belly - Notice beginning of partial pearling on older keet	Sky Blue Light blue color with white on face and belly - White wings indicate Pied Sky Blue

Lite Lavender Similar markings but lighter version of Lavender keet	Lite Blue Pewter or gray-blue body with irregular stripes on head - Some white on wings and belly	Powder Blue Solid pewter or gray-blue color

Porcelain Off-white colored body with very pale gray-blue broad and narrow stripes on head and back	Opaline Mostly white body with faint color on head that might appear pale blue or pale gold - Fainter color on back	White Pure white - Sometimes has a black dot on top or back of head - These birds are not albino and are the only solid white bird that hatches solid white and not yellow

Brown Strongly resembles Pearl Gray keet but a lighter, faded appearance	Chocolate Body light shades of brown with white face, wings and belly	Copper New color being developed - Very similar to Pastel and Pewter keets but color on head is a much brighter copper color (like a new penny) - Will feather out a lighter version of Violet

Buff Dundotte Very light tan colored body with dark tan broad stripe on head and two smaller on each side - Tan stripes on back	Buff Near-white colored body with irregular light tan stripes on head and back - Females darker than males	Pewter Solid rust colored body - Lighter than Slate keet

	Blonde Similar markings but lighter version of Chocolate keet	Pastel Similar solid rust color as Pewter keet but with much more white on belly and wings

Here are some identification tips:

Comparison between male and female Buff keets - Note that the female (on the right) is darker than the male

Two darker keets...Looking Pied Brown, Pied Chocolate

Comparison between Lavender (on left) and two Coral Blue - VERY close except for HEADS - REMEMBER, broad stripe with smaller will be fully pearled while broken will be partial pearling

Upper keet also feathers as a Pearl Gray - Another combination that results in pearl feathering is shown in lower picture with dark, solid feathering and what looks like a widow's peak

Two pictures on the top right are the darker keets in basket - One has irregular stripes and the other has one broad stripe - Both appear to be Pied

Light keet in basket is pictured below - Doesn't look Pied but VERY light with partial pearling

Pied Guinea Fowl Keet Colors

Pied keets come in all the different colors. Remember the basic head markings and identify the color. Then think about the extra white on their chests, parts of wings or full wings, which makes them Pied. Pied keets may be harder to ID when very young. As they start to feather, you will notice what is going to stay white on their chests and wings.

Key to Pied Guinea Fowl Keet Colors

Upper pictures in each box are pied adult guineas.

These first three pied varieties will be fully pearled when mature:

Pied Pearl Gray

Same as above Pearl Gray keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Lavender

Same as above Lavender keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Brown

Same as above Brown keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Lavender Guinea Fowl Keet and Lavender Keet

Keet on left side is Pied Lavender - Compare to keet on right side that is Lavender without the white pied markings

These three colors will be partially pearled when mature:

Pied Chocolate

Same as above Chocolate keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Royal Purple

Same as above Royal Purple keet ALONG WITH additional white on chest and/or wings - Keets in lower left picture are all Royal Purple - Right side with more white is Pied Royal Purple

Pied Coral Blue

Same as above Coral Blue keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Royal Purple Guinea Fowl Older Keet

These colors will be solid when mature:

Pied Sky Blue

Same as above Sky Blue keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Powder Blue

Solid light pewter color ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings

Pied Slate

Same as above Slate keet ALONG WITH additional white on chest and/or wings

Two Sky Blue - Right side is Pied - Notice complete white wings

If you have an adult or keet picture of a color variety that is not yet displayed, you may email it to us or send it to the address on our Contact Us page. We would be happy to consider your photo(s) for inclusion in this chart.

Thanks to Brenda (brenTx) for her invaluable help with this color chart.