As the name suggests, the Indian Peafowl is primarily found in the wild in India and is the national bird of India.

Indian Peafowl have been raised in captivity for centuries as historical documents mention them in Egypt, Greece and Rome. They are currently kept all over the world in zoos, aviaries and by individuals. The photos included in this post were taken in Canada, Barbados, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Panama, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

It is the male that is famous for his amazing feathers. The two distinctive features are the peacock’s head is a shining bright blue and the tail feathers have dramatic spots which have dark blue centers and larger circles that are bright blue, goldish and light green. The male is shown in the following photos.

The peahen is not as flamboyant and is a plain grayish brown color. This coloring allows her to easily blend into her environment to avoid predators and protect her eggs. The female is shown in the following photos.

The head of the male is a bright blue and is really beautiful especially with the backdrop of the colorful tail feathers when he fans them out. Both the male and female have a crest on top of their head that resembles a crown.

The peacock truly is one of the most beautiful birds. They have been acknowledged for their beauty for centuries and aristocrats have incorporated them into their estates and called them “living sculptures.”

Undoubtedly, the tail feathers are spectacular when they are fanned out but they are also beautiful when they are trailing the bird in a train. The train can account for more than half of the peacock’s total size and reminds me of a bride’s train of her wedding dress as it follows along behind her.

It is common to see photos of the peacock with the tail feathers fanned out but I have also included a couple of close up photos of the train retracted and the feathers are also beautiful as they are compressed together and stacked on top of each other.

About this Bird

Family: Pheasant

Location: As the name implies, the natural range is primarily in India but they can also be found in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They have been imported and domesticated to countries all over the world.

Size: Females are 2.5 to 3.5 feet long and weigh between 6 and 9 pounds. Males are 3 to 4.5 feet long and weigh between 9 and 13 pounds.

Interesting Fact: A group of peafowls are called a pride or a party.

Diet: Mostly made up of flower petals, seeds, plants, insects, reptiles and amphibians.

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