indian peafowl

The male birds are larger than the females measure 180 to 230 cm in length including the full grown train. The females are about 90 cm in length and do not have a tail train. The male blue peacock has a metallic blue crown and a fan like crest with greenish blue feathers.The peacock has a elongated neck with iridescent blue feathers. The breast and part of the belly also have blue feathers. There is a white stripe around the eye and a crescent shaped white patch of bare skin under the eyes.The upper-tail covert feathers of Indian peafowl have colourful eyespots. The blue peacock erects them into a fan-like shape during courtship. The female Indian peafowl have dull brown plumage.They are found in the open moist and dry-deciduous forests foraging on the ground. They can fly and they roost in tall trees.

The Indian Peafowl favours open forest with riparian undergrowth, and wooded areas along streams. But this species is also found in orchards and cultivated areas near human habitations. It usually prefers moist and dry deciduous woodlands near water. The Indian Peafowl can be seen up to 2000 metres of elevation.

The Indian Peafowl is omnivorous, feeding on plant matter, insects, small snakes and mammals, berries, some fruits and green crops. It forages in small groups in cultivated areas.

Trumpeting, far-carrying and mournful kee-ow, kee-ow. Also series of short, gasping screams, ka-an... ka-an.... ka-an, repeated 6-8 times, and kok-kok and cain-kok when alarmed.

Special Note: Size Male 180cm  - 230cm Female 90cm - 100cm The Indian Peafowl is the National Bird of India where this superb bird is sacred and very prominent in mythology and folklore of Indian people. Several legends tell numerous wonderful stories about this beautiful bird. Thanks to its beauty and popularity the species has been protected both in its native and introduced ranges. Very common in India the Indian Peafowl is found in almost all villages and protected under Indian Wildlife Protection act 1972. Male is named peacock female is peahen and chick is peachick.  Adult male has glossy cobalt-blue head neck upper mantle and breast. On the back the centre is glossy green with scaled effect. The upperwing shows chestnut primary flight feathers and black secondaries. Wing coverts are black finely vermiculated white. The long uppertail coverts form the train during the spring and all the breeding season. These feathers show ornamental eye-spot and disintegrated barbs at tip. These barbs give a fluffy appearance when the male fans its tail. On the contrary the rectrices are duller and shorter. On the head the bare skin is white forming an oval line around the eyes. We can see a conspicuous crest of several fine feathers ending in blue-green fan. The strong bill is grey with white spot at base. Eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are pinkish with feathered chestnut thighs. There is one spur on the rear of the leg.  After the breeding season the male moults and its train disappears until the next spring. The female is different with brownish upperparts. The flight feathers and rectrices are darker brown. The neck is glossy green whereas the breast is dark brown with green gloss. Underparts lower breast and belly are whitish.  On the head she has glossy green forehead and crown with the same form of crest but greenish at tip. The bare skin of the face is white and joins the white chin throat cheeks and lower ear-coverts. The juvenile resembles female but duller and paler and it lacks the glossy green feathers. The young male has chestnut-coloured wings. They are sexually mature at three years old.