Escondido, California - Four African crested guineafowl gave San Diego Zoo Safari Park guests an unexpected surprise earlier today as they paraded through the Park’s Nairobi Village and delighted onlookers of all ages. The winged animal ambassadors walked at a fast pace along the pathway, checking out their surroundings and boldly approaching guests as their trainers answered questions about the cute and curious birds.

"Our guests really seem to enjoy the guineafowl walking by and many of the visitors join the parade, taking photos and laughing along the way," said Janet Rose-Hinostroza, animal training supervisor at the Safari Park. "It is so much fun to provide an enriching experience for the guineafowl while also providing our guests with an up-close opportunity to learn about and meet these beautiful and social birds."

The guineafowl parade is not only enriching for the birds and fun for Safari Park guests to witness, it also gives trainers a chance to demonstrate flocking behavior in birds, a behavior that can be a critical component in the conservation of social bird species.

At the end of the parade, the birds and their trainers stop to allow guests to interact with the foursome. The male birds, named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, were hatched at the Safari Park and are just under a year old. Their sisters, the Spice Girls, are part of the daily Frequent Flyers Bird Show at the Park. Trainers hope to increase the number of birds in the guineafowl parade later this year with, you guessed it, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen and even a "different" species to join the group as Rudolph.

The crested guineafowl is a plentiful species found in sub-Saharan Africa that has been domesticated for years. The guineafowl’s plumage is dark gray to black with whitish spots, and its most recognizable feature is the mop-like crest of black feathers on its head.

Visitors to the Safari Park can see the guineafowl parade daily around 1 p.m. during Butterfly Jungle, now through April 12.  At Butterfly Jungle, visitors will be enchanted as thousands of butterflies flutter around them in the Hidden Jungle walk-through aviary, which is also home to lush greenery and exotic birds. The more than 30 species of butterflies highlighted during this year’s Butterfly Jungle hail from Africa, Asia, Indonesia, and Central, South and North America.

During Butterfly Jungle, the Safari Park offers extended hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Butterfly Jungle is included with Safari Park admission or membership.

Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes onsite wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the Internet and in children’s hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.