Indian Peafowl : In News
Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve recently recorded the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) for the first time, adding a new species to the protected area’s biodiversity record and another chapter to Assam’s rich birdlife.
- Indian peafowl are a species in a group of birds called pheasants.
- The males are called peacocks, while the females are called peahens. Together, they are peafowl.
- Scientific Name: Pavo cristatus
- They are resident breeders across the Indian subcontinent and inhabit the drier lowland areas of Sri Lanka.
- They are found in moist and dry deciduous forests near water and in montane forests and can also adapt to live in cultivated regions and around human habitations.
- It is the national bird of India and has a significant cultural and historical presence.
- Peafowl are among the largest of all birds that fly.
- Males and females show strong physical differences.
- Peacock is brightly colored, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers, and is best known for the long train (tail) made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers, which bear colorful eyespots.
- These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship.
- Despite the length and size of these covert feathers, peacocks are still capable of flight.
- Peahens lack the train and have a greenish lower neck and duller brown plumage.
- Diet: Omnivorous; feeds on seeds, grains, fruits, insects, reptiles, and other small animals.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
