Hands Down Animals · Printable fact sheet
Peacock
Pavo (genus)
Quick facts
| Scientific name | Pavo (genus) |
|---|---|
| Size | 90–230 cm total length |
| Weight | 3–6 kg (males heavier and longer) |
| Lifespan | 15–20 years in the wild (up to 23 years in captivity) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; feeds on seeds, grains, berries, insects, small reptiles, and even small mammals. |
| Habitat | Forests (deciduous and evergreen), Forest edges, Scrubland |
| Where it lives | India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (species level, though Green and Congo Peafowl threatened) |
| Population | 1,000,000+ (Indian Peafowl only); Green and Congo Peafowl… |
| Top speed | 16 km/h |
| Family | Phasianidae |
About the peacock
The peacock is the male of the peafowl, and the Indian peafowl of India and Sri Lanka is the bird most people picture: a train of around 200 elongated feathers, each tipped with an eyespot, fanned and rattled to court the plainer brown peahens. The train is shed and regrown each year after the breeding season, and despite its length the bird flies well enough to roost in trees. The Indian peafowl is India's national bird and Least Concern, while the green peafowl of Southeast Asia is Endangered.
Five things to know
- Only male peafowl are called 'peacocks'; females are 'peahens.'
- The Indian Peafowl is India's national bird and is protected under Indian law.
- The stunning 'train' of a peacock is not its tail but elongated upper tail coverts.
- Green Peafowl are more endangered and both males and females have similarly bright plumage, unlike the Indian Peafowl.
- Peafowl use their plumage and vocalizations for complex courtship displays.
Homeschool unit: Birds homeschool guide — Flight, feathers and migration: a bird unit that uses species like the peacock as its worked examples.