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Birds
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Indian
Peafowl
Pavo
cristatus
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 Appearance
The magnificent Indian peafowl is
so widely kept in captivity and in parks and gardens outside
its native range that it is a familiar bird in much of the
world. The cock is unmistakable, with his iridescent plumage,
wiry crest and glittering train, adorned with eyespots.
The smaller female, or peahen, has brown and some metallic
green plumage and a small crest. Male: 92 cm - 1.2 m (3
- 4 ft) without train; 2 - 2.25 m (6 1/2 - 7 1/4 ft) in
full plumage: Female: 86 cm (33 3/4 in) |
Description
Outside the breeding season, peafowls
live in small flocks of 1 male and 3 to 5 hens, but, after
breeding, they may split into groups made up of adult males
or females and young. They feed in the open, early in the
morning and at dusk, and spend much of the rest of the day
in thick undergrowth. |
Regions
India, Sri Lanka in forest, woodland,
cultivated land |
Diet
Seeds, grain, groundnuts, shoots,
flowers, berries, insects and small invertebrates are all
eaten by these omnivorous birds, and they may destroy crops. |
Breeding
In the breeding season, the male bird
displays, fully spreading his erect train to spectacular
effect by raising and spreading the tail beneath it. With
his wings trailing, he prances and struts in front of the
female, periodically shivering the spread train and presenting
his back view. The female may respond by a faint imitation
of his posture. In the wild, the nest scrape is made in
thick undergrowth, and the female incubates her 4 to 6 eggs
for about 28 days. |
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