A red rooster and a brown hen sitting side by side on a perch. — Photo: Andrei Niemimäki, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chicken

Gallus gallus domesticus

The domestic chicken, a farm bird descended from Asia's red junglefowl; there are more chickens on Earth than any other bird.

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About the Chicken

Chickens are medium-sized birds with small heads, short beaks and wings, and round bodies on featherless legs. Their size and color vary a lot from breed to breed, and many have fleshy skin on the chin and head. A flock usually has one rooster and several hens. Roosters crow to tell other males about their territory, and hens cluck to their chicks or after laying an egg.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Gallus gallus domesticus^[1]
Diet: Chicken feed; Zoo chickens get feed with added oyster shell.^[1]
Habitat: Farms.^[1]
Where it lives: Raised around the world; descended from red junglefowl of southern Asia.^[1]
Group life: Flocks of one rooster and several hens. Active by day.^[1]
Conservation status: Domesticated animal. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

There are more chickens on Earth than any other bird.^[1]
Chickens come from a wild bird called the red junglefowl.^[1]
Hens don't crow, but they cluck after laying an egg.^[1]

Vocabulary

domesticated: Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
breed: A group of domestic animals with a certain look, developed by people.
rooster: A male chicken.
hen: A female chicken.
flock: A group of birds that live or travel together.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Kids' FarmSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Chicken.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/chicken (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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