AnimalsThe chicken is descended from the red junglefowl of South and South-East Asia, a bird still found wild in Indian forests. There are more chickens in the world than any other bird.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Gallus gallus domesticus
- Group
- Birds
- Diet
- Omnivore (eats plants and animals)
- Lives in
- Worldwide, with people
- Habitat
- Farms and villages
- A young one is called
- chick
- A group is called
- flock or brood
- Conservation status
- Domestic animal
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Phasianidae
- Genus Gallus
- Species Gallus gallus domesticus
Other members of the family Phasianidae on this site: Indian peafowl.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The chicken is a domestic animal, kept and bred by people. Domestic animals are not assessed for the Red List of threatened species.