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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Indian
peafowl, common peafowl |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Galliformes |
| FAMILY: |
Phasianidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Pavo (peacock) cristatus (crested) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Male has fan-shaped crest, metallic blue head, bright
blue neck and upper body; long ornamental feathers
(not true tail feathers but elongated upper tail
coverts); female has chestnut-brown crest and neck
with feathers bordered with bronze and green |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
|
| SIZE: |
text
|
| MALE |
Total
body length 2.3 meters (7.5 ft.); train is 1.4-1.6
m (4.62-5.28 feet) long; accounts for more than
60% of total body length |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| WEIGHT: |
2.75-4.0 kg (6.05-8.8 lbs) |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| DIET: |
Grains, insects, small reptiles, small mammals,
berries, drupes, wild figs, and some cultivated
crops |
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| INCUBATION: |
28 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-12 eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
text |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
2-3 years |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
20-24 years |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| RANGE: |
Eastern Pakistan through India, south from the Himalayas
to Sri Lanka |
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| HABITAT: |
Open forests, streamside forests, orchards, and
other cultivated areas |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Very common in most areas of their natural range
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| LOCAL |
text |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
text |
| CITES |
Not listed |
| USFWS |
Not listed |
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| 1. |
In
1963, the peafowl was declared the national bird
of India because of its rich traditional involvement
in Indian religion and legend. |
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| 2. |
Hindus consider this bird to be sacred because the
god Kartikeya rides on its back. Legend also says
the peafowl is able to charm snakes and addle their
eggs! |
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| 3. |
In Greek mythology, the peacock's ornate train became
a famous tale! The goddess Hera had a faithful servant
named Argus. He had numerous eyes all over his body.
When Hermes killed her watchful servant, Hera took
Argus' eyes and placed them on the tail of the peacock
to honor his memory. |
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| 4. |
Males
are called peacocks, females are peahens, and young
are known as peachicks. |
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| 5. |
This
bird is one of the most recognizable birds in the
world! |
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| 6. |
Male
Indian peafowl are polygamous, taking many females
during a breeding season. The males establish breeding
territories known as a lek. When time to breed,
females wander through many male's territories,
sometimes making repeated visits, before selecting
a mate. The males do not help to raise the young. |
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| Peafowl
were once common in Bangladesh. It seems now they
may be extinct in that country. Because of its striking
appearance, this bird was actively transplanted
worldwide! Early seafarers decided to bring the
peafowl to their homelands in other parts of the
western world. These actions seem to have saved
the bird from complete extinction. Traders in the
year 1000 B.C. introduced the birds to present-day
Syria and the Egyptian pharaohs. Alexander the Great
imported more of the birds into his Mediterranean
domains and severely penalized anyone caught harming
them. Peafowl were a status symbol through Roman
times and the Middle Ages, ensuring their establishment
and survival throughout Europe. Fortunately, such
a long and close association with humans has given
peafowls an excellent chance of survival. |
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| |
|
|
| Delacour,
J. The Pheasants of the World. 2nd ed. World
Pheasant Association and Spur Publications, Hindhead,
UK, 1977. |
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|
Gotch, A.F. Birds-Their Latin Names Explained.
Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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Perrins, Dr. Christopher M. The Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference
to Birds of the World. New York: Prentice
Hall Press, 1990.
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| http://www.denverzoo.org/animalsplants/birds/birds_others/Indian_Peafowl/indian_peafowl.htm |
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| http://natzoo.si.edu/zooview/exhibits/birdhs/peafowl.htm |
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