Peacock displaying his elaborate tail feathers

Peafowl

Colorful characters
Type
flamingo

Birds

Area
Map highlighting India
India
Endangered Status

Some Endangered

facts

size
27 to 51
inches in length
An average soccer ball is 8.65 inches tall.
Peacock compared to the size of a soccer ball
food
insects, more
Insectivorous Omnivore
insectivore

Peacocks also eat grain, small reptiles and mammals, berries, figs, leaves, seeds, and flower parts.

habitat
rainforests
forests
Rainforest habitat leaves

description

Indian Peacock and peahen

Peacocks and peahens

Most people call them peacocks, but that's the correct name for only the males of this type of bird. Females are called peahens, and the whole group are peafowl. There are three types of peafowl in the world: Indian, green, and Congo. Most people are familiar with the Indian peafowl, since that is the kind found in many zoos and parks. Indian peafowl live in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, green peafowl are found in Southeast Asia, and Congo peafowl are from central Africa.

Peafowl call
Peahen with peachick snuggled into her wing

Hide in plain sight

The Indian peacock has some of the brightest feathers, but the peahen is a drab, mottled brown in comparison. The male needs his bright feathers to attract a mate, and the female needs to be able to blend in with the bushes so that predators cannot see her while she is incubating her eggs.

Peacock displaying his large tail

Where's the "party"?

A group of peafowl is called a "party" or a "pride"! The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and is protected in that country. In the Hindu religion, the peafowl is a sacred bird, because the spots on the peacock’s tail symbolize the eyes of the gods.

Quiz

The male is called a peacock. What is the female called?
Peahen
Peachick