Bird Watching - Indian Peafowl

Indian PeaFowl

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.

Peafowl are among the largest of all birds that fly. (Ostriches, emus, and other such birds are bigger, but cannot fly.) The beautiful feathers that cover the tails of a peacock are longer than the bird's body and can be displayed in a spectacular fan of brilliant colors. These long feathers actually grow from the bird's back not the tail. He elevates them by raising the much shorter tail feathers underneath them.

Peahens are more drab than their male counterparts, with mostly brown on their back with a white belly. Females don't have long tail feathers, but they do have a crest on their head and green neck feathers.

Local Names: Mor, Mayura (Hindi)

                    Mayil (Malayalam, Tamil)

This species has long, strong, grayish-brown legs equipped for running away into brush for safety. Both sexes are equipped with spurs that are around 2.5 cm long; males will use them during the breeding season to ward off other competing males. Females are brown, grey, and cream-colored. roosts at night in large trees.

Peafowl are omnivorous and eat seeds, insects, fruits, small mammals and reptiles. They feed on small snakes but keep their distance from larger ones.

The nest is a shallow scrape in the ground lined with leaves, sticks and other debris. 

The clutch consists of 4–8 fawn to buff white eggs which are incubated only by the female. The incubation period lasts up to 28 days.

Males and females look alike until the males develop their train and bright feathers. It takes up to three years for males to develop a full train.

The bird is celebrated in Hindu and Greek mythology and is the National bird of India. 

These birds were often kept in menageries and as ornaments in large gardens and estates. 

References

The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)

Wikipedia

animaldiversity.org

Pictures:

Srirangam, Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu ( 2019)

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I took these pictures in Srirangam, Trichy, we reached the place at dawn and the flocks were trying to settle down. It was getting darker and i was not able to capture the vibrant colors in its real beauty. But it was a blessing and feast to the eyes seeing so many of them together.