Common Peafowl

Introduced

Pavo cristatus

Interesting Information

  • The peacock, not the peahen, is the national bird of India.

  • The long tail feathers on the male are called a train. The trains develop in their third year and are fully molted annually.

  • There are feral populations throughout southern Florida. Many are zoo escapees, others are domestic birds kept on personal property that have wandered off.

  • A group of peacocks has many collective nouns, including a "bawl", "muster", "pride", "ostentation", and "pulchritrude" of peacocks.

Description

Adult Description

Large pheasant with shimmering blue neck and breast. Face is white and head sports a fan-shaped blue crest. During courtship, long ornate tail is fanned out and held erect. Each tail feather has an eye.

 

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Photo taken from:what-when-how.com

Habitat

In North America, common in zoos; small feral populations exist in southern California. Preferred habitats include lowlands and foothills.

Behavior

Forages and nests on the ground but roosts in the top of trees.

Food

Feeds on variety of foods, including grain, fruits, insects, and snakes.

 

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
     Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
    Subfamily: Phasianinae
Genus: Pavo
Species: Pavo cristatus

Similar Species

None

Bird Sound

"whah-whah-whah-whah"

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution