Comman Peafowl
Tagged: animal, animals, bird, insect, pets( image )
The Common, or Indian Peafowl roams forestin India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan. It also been introduced to many countries worlwide and has established semi-wild populations in some places. With an iridescent blue and green body and a long train of ornamental feathers that it spreads into a magnificent fan, the male common peafowl, or peacock, is one of the world’s most spectacular game birds. These turkey-sized birds are native to the Indian sub-continent, but they have become a familiar sight in zoos, parks and gardens around the world.
Creature of Habit
In the wild, common peafowl spend much of their time on the ground looking for food. They tend to feed in the same place each day, scratching over earth and leaf litter to uncover and feed on insects, worms, berries, grain and seeds. They will also eat mice and small snakes, including young cobras.
Part of Bodies
- Fan shapped cres – of short, erect feathers appears in both sexes
- A white band – on males stretches from nostril to eye and there is a white patch below the eye.
- The long train – of males comprises 150 or so coverts – frond like plumes – that cover the short tail feathers undernearth. The coverts, up to 5ft ( 1.5 m ) long, are shed shortly after the breeding season.
Statistics
- status – locally common
- lenght – male; up to 2.5 m with train; females/non-breeding male; 0.9-1.2 m
- weight – 4-6 kg
- wingspan – up to 1.6 m
- migration – non-migrant
- plumage – sexes differ
- sexual maturity – 3 years
- breeding season – varies to coincide with monsoon rains
- incubation period – around 28 days
- number of eggs – usually 3-6
- diet – insects, worms, berries, grain, seeds, mice, snakes
- lifespan – 20-30 years in captivity
Myth or fact
Egyptian pharaohs kept peacocks as pets, whereas in ancient India, they were associated with the all-seeing sun and were worshipped for their ability to fend off snakes and bad luck. Peafowl are still regarded as lucky by many Hindu people and they are symbol of the good krishna. Alexander the great introduced peacocks to Greece and forbade people to harm them. In the West, some still believe that bad luck will befall those who display peacock feathers in their home.
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