Animals
Class: Bird
Biome:
Conservation Status: Least Concern
About this animal
Peafowl are giant pheasants; the males are up to 2.5m long and weigh . Indian peafowl are found in open forests throughout India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It forages and nests on the ground but roosts on top of trees. It eats mainly seeds, but also some insects, fruits and reptiles. Peahens lay a clutch of 4-8 eggs which take 28 days to hatch. The males do not assist with the rearing of the chicks. Both male and female peafowl vary in terms of their colouration. The peacock has some of the brightest feathers and one of the most impressive courtship displays of any bird in the world. The peahen is a drab mottled brown colour which allows her to blend in with her surroundings while incubating her eggs.
Did you know?
The peacock moults his ‘train’ of feathers once a year. This occurs when the females are busy rearing their chicks. The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and is protected in that country. To Hindus, the peafowl is a sacred bird, it is believed that the spots on the peacock’s train symbolize the eyes of the gods.
