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Peafowl are birds of the genus Pavo and Afropavo, with male peacocks having extravagant trains of feathers. Learn about their description, iridescence, sexual selection, and natural selection hypotheses.
- Overview
- Natural history
- Conservation status
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peacock, any of three species of resplendent birds of the pheasant family, Phasianidae (order Galliformes). Strictly, the male is a peacock, and the female is a peahen; both are peafowl. The two most-recognizable species of peafowl are the blue, or Indian, peacock (Pavo cristatus), of India and Sri Lanka, and the green, or Javanese, peacock (P. mut...
In blue and green peacocks, the male has a 90–130-cm (35–50-inch) body and 150-cm (60-inch) train of tail feathers that are coloured a brilliant metallic green. This train is mainly formed of the bird’s upper tail coverts, which are enormously elongated. Each feather is tipped with an iridescent eyespot that is ringed with blue and bronze. In courtship displays, the cock elevates his tail, which lies under the train, thus elevating the train and bringing it forward. At the climax of this display, the tail feathers are vibrated, giving the feathers of the train a shimmering appearance and making a rustling sound.
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The blue peacock’s body feathers are mostly metallic blue-green. The green peacock, with a train much like that of the blue, has green and bronze body feathers. Hens of both species are green and brown and are almost as big as the male but lack the train and the head ornament. In the wild, both species live in open lowland forests, flocking by day and roosting high in trees at night. During the breeding season, the male forms a harem of two to five hens, each of which lays four to eight whitish eggs in a depression in the ground. The eggs are incubated by the peahen until they hatch some 28 days later. The chicks have all of their feathers when they emerge from their eggs and are capable of flight roughly one week after hatching. Most blue and green peafowl become sexually mature at age three. However, some male blue peafowl have been known to breed as early as age two.
As an ornamental bird, the peacock is a staple resident of many of the world’s zoos and has long been famous throughout the Old World. Green peacocks in captivity must be kept apart from other fowl, though, because of their aggressive disposition. Blue peacocks, though native to warm humid climates, can survive northern winters. Green peacocks, however, cannot tolerate much cold.
The Congo peacock is the only large phasianid in Africa. The cock is mainly blue and green with a short rounded tail. The hen is reddish and green with a brown topknot. The species is smaller than those in genus Pavo, growing to roughly between 64 and 70 cm (25 to 28 inches) in length by adulthood.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies the blue peafowl as a species of least concern. However, the green peacock is classified by the IUCN as an endangered species. The green peacock’s population declined significantly during the latter half of the 20th century because of overhunting and the destruction of large parts of its natural habitat; the species is now thought to number between 10,000 and 20,000 adults. The IUCN has classified the Congo peafowl as a vulnerable species. Its population has fallen to fewer than 10,000 adults because of hunting and habitat loss..
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Learn about peacock, any of three species of resplendent birds of the pheasant family, with brilliant tail feathers and eyespots. Find out their natural history, distribution, and status in the wild.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about peacocks, the large, colorful pheasants with iridescent tails, and their mating rituals, diet, and habitats. See photos of blue, green, and Congo peacocks, and find out how they differ from peahens and peafowl.
- Peacock Habitat. Peacocks live in woodland and forest in the wild, but they adapt well to different environments and captivity. They live in the wild in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and also the Congo Basin.
- Peacock Diet. Peacocks are not fussy eaters and they eat most things they can find on the ground such as insects, worms, small snakes and reptiles, small mammals, grain, seed, and berries.
- Peacock feathers. Peacocks are typically blue and green and the tail feathers of the male can be 60% of the bird’s total body length. The feathers have colorful ‘eye’ markings of gold, red and blue.
- Peacock colors. There are three species of peacocks (peafowl) which all have different dominant coloring: Indian Peafowl is more blue in coloring. Green Peafowl from Southeast Asia, which is more green in coloring.
Learn about peacocks, the colorful and extravagant birds that live in India and Asia. Find out about their appearance, behavior, reproduction, and human interaction.
Aug 11, 2021 · Learn about the three species of peafowl, their appearance, diet, habitat, breeding, and conservation status. Find out how peacocks use their spectacular feathers to attract mates and defend themselves.
May 6, 2024 · Learn about the colorful and fascinating peacock, the national bird of India and a symbol of immortality and royalty. Discover how peacocks develop their tail feathers, how peahens choose mates, and how peacocks can fly.
