If you were to rank the 11,276 birds currently known on Earth on a scale of recognisability, the Indian peafowl surely deserves a place in the top 10.
In the wild, peafowl are found across most of the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. But thanks to widespread introductions across Europe, the Antipodes, the USA and South Africa, you might not have to travel too far to catch up with the males’ extravagant looks and astonishing display.
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How many species of peafowl are there?
There are three species of peafowl: the Indian peafowl; the closely related green peafowl from the tropical forests of south-east Asia; and the more distantly related Congo peafowl. The latter two are threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
What's the difference between a peafowl and a peacock?
While most people use 'peacock' as a catch-all term, peafowl is the common name for the bird species. Peacock refers to the males, and peahen refers to the females.
What's the difference between male and female peafowls?
Being a sexually dimorphic species, the males (peacocks) are very differently plumed to the females (peahens). Sporting an electric-blue neck and head, topped with a small crest, the male is best known for his impressive train, which extends for more than a metre beyond his rump.
These plumes are only fully formed when the males reach sexual maturity, at around three years of age, and are in fact elongated upper tail covert feathers. They contain a multitude of colourful eyespots and terminate in a distinctive fishtail. The males are still able to fly, despite the obvious encumbrance, but usually only do so when heading into their lofty tree-roosts at dusk.
The females, in contrast, lack this elaborate accessory and are predominantly brown, which helps them to safely blend into their surroundings while incubating their clutches and rearing young.
Where do peafowl live?
The Indian peafowl is found in a range of habitats, including deciduous forest, scrubland and grassland. The bird also lives alongside cultivated land and, in this scenario, often ends up existing in a semi-domesticated state.
In the wild, peafowl are found across most of the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. There have been widespread introductions across Europe, the Antipodes, the USA and South Africa.
What do peafowl eat?
It is omnivorous by nature and mostly forages on the ground for seeds, fruits, insects, small reptiles and a range of crops.
Do peacocks and peahens stay together?
Usually encountered while foraging or resting during the heat of the day, peafowl groups usually consist of either cocks or hens. This dynamic quickly changes with the advent of the breeding season, when groups become mixed.
What's the mating behaviour of peafowl?
Males, in an attempt to form a hierarchy at specific lekking sites, initially display to one another, but save most of their energy for the hens. When a female arrives, they leap into action, raising their tails into giant fans. They also appear to orient their bodies towards the sun, to ensure their iridescent head, neck and train feathers are shown off in the best possible light. For their pièce de résistance, the suitors noisily shake or vibrate their fanned tails to mesmeric effect.
One study of peafowls has revealed that only the fittest males are able to maintain a long tail, so an impressive train must indicate good body condition, ultimately resulting in greater mating success. Subsequent research that involved tracking the hens’ eye movements during the males’ display also revealed that the females appear fixated with the upper train at a distance, while their attention becomes more focussed on the lower feathers at closer quarters. And the ‘shaking their tail feathers’ element is believed to ensure the females’ attention doesn’t wander during the performance, perhaps to rival males waiting in the wings.
So celebrated is this behavioural spectacle that the peacock was even used by Charles Darwin as a textbook example of sexual selection. In essence, for males to be considered an evolutionary success, they must not just survive but survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce. But since it is ultimately the females that choose who they mate with, the males are forced along the ‘ever-more-fancy-tail’ route, even if this increases their chance of falling victim to predators.
For the males so desperate to pass on their genes, a large, cumbersome tail is clearly a risk worth taking – and also the reason why this species is venerated far beyond its native shores.
Why are a peacocks feathers so bright?
The peacock’s iridescence is due to the physical properties of its feathers, rather than pigments. The feathers contain microscopic barbules coated in crystal-like structures, and create colour by reflecting specific wavelengths of light from the visible spectrum. This means a peacock’s feather colour will never fade.
What is a baby peacock called?
A baby peacock (or peahen) is called a peachick.
What noise does a peafowl make?
Peacocks are noisy birds, known for their brash ‘may-oooow’ call, which carries for long distances. The birds tend to call in the early morning and evening, ramping up the racket during the breeding season.
Where can you see peafowl?
Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka
Covering more than 850km2, Dandeli hosts some 270 bird species in addition to tigers, black panthers and elephants.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala
Considered one of India’s richest avian sites, the deciduous forests of this small reserve hold a healthy population of peacocks.
Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
Named after the hunter and naturalist James Corbett, India’s first national park is a hugely popular ecotourism destination.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
The former hunting grounds of the Maharajas, Ranthambore is also famed for Bengal tigers.
Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka
The mammal and bird fauna of Sri Lanka’s largest national park is rich and varied, with leopards and peacocks among the most sought-after species.
Can peafowl fly?
Peafowl can fly for short distances, usually when heading into their evening tree-roosts.
Is the peacock the national bird of India?
The Indian peafowl has been recognised as the national bird of India since 1963, yet its significance to the country’s art, literature and religion stretches back thousands of years. Jaipur’s Peacock Gate and Peacock Temple, just outside Bangalore, are just two examples of incredible peacock-related art.
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Main image: a peafowl. Credit: Getty
