A structured questionnaire was administered to 40 households in each of the three localities (Bahri, Dilling and Abu-neama). Morphological characteristics of 900 chickens were physically examined. Data analysis showed that the average flock size per household was 16.7 and that it varied significantly among localities. The flock structure study showed that 46.1 percent were chicks and growers, 34.6 percent hens and 19.35 percent cocks. Regarding the ecotypes, the flock was composed of 75.7, 8.8 and 15.5 percent large Beladi (LB), bare neck (BN) and Betwil (BT) dwarf, respectively. The Sudanese indigenous chicken are characterized by wide phenotypic variation. The plumage colour frequencies were mixed colour (37.8 percent), light brown (16.5 percent), black (13.1 percent), grey (3.5 percent) and white (6.2 percent). Feathering did not show a well-defined pattern; however, the few birds whose feathering pattern could be identified were crown feather (7.0 percent), partridge (3.5 percent), barred (3.5 percent), laced (3.1 percent) and frizzled (0.01 percent). The average adult body weight was 1 650.5 ± 125 g in males and 1 187 ± 70 g in females. Hens reached sexual maturity at 6.5 months and layed 13.2 eggs/clutch in 3–3.5 clutches per year. The average egg weight was 40.8 ± 1.6 g and the hatchability rate under natural incubation was 71.8 percent. The BN ecotype had significantly (P < 0.01) poorer maternal care (57.7 percent hatchability) compared with the other types (LB and BT).