Indian Blue Peafowl
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c O€ <0 2 Indian (f) :::J U ro Blue Peafowl 2 > ..0 (f)o King ofPheasants <5 £n... by Marcus Martin Pasadena, Texas Ah, yes, the magnificent Indian Blue Peafowl, more commonly referred to as the peacock or peahen, is known to ornithologists as Pavo cristatusJ a Latin name meaning "crested peacock~' Almost everyone knows of this splendid bird and, perhaps, also of his vanity. For as long as man has known of the peacock, the bird has been tagged with the tale of being proud and vainglorious. The exact creature of origin of the pea cock is unknown, but there is evi dence that he has been around for There is a distinct difference between the male andfemale peafowl. Here, the male about 500,000 years. He has been and his harem ofhens enjoy a treat ofbread. mentioned in the Bible and in Shakespeare's literature. Even today, wide. His historical past goes beyond for thousands of years. India chose we use the saying "proud as a pea the Roman Empire, where he was this flamboyant creature to be their cock" and his name is synonymous declared a delicacy. The peacock national bird. Pavo cristatus is found with one of the most illuminating was in America before George from the foothills of the Himalayas shades of blue in the entire spectrum. Washington's time and graced planta south to the island of Sri Lanka. The No other bird has been so admired for tions and farms. Today, however, his Indian peacock is not the only pea beauty as the peacock. main haunts include zoos and estates, fowl found wild on earth. His close Originating in the forests of India and even some private farms. relative, theJavan or green peafowl, is and Sri Lanka, the peacock has been I am fifteen years old, but I am found further east, from southeast sent to every country in Europe, and boundlessly enthusiastic about this Assam to Thailand and southern can be found also in America, Mexico, extraordinary bird. The Indian pea China, including the Malaysian penin Australia, and other places world- fowl has been revered for its beauty sula and the island ofJava. The Javan While displaying, the peafowl turns around again andagain to reveal the drab A yearlingpeacock Sh01VS offfor hispos backside and to see ifthefemale runs around to see thefront, which means she is sible ((mate." You can clearly see the readyfor mating. bird's true tail in thisphoto. afa WATCHBIRD 51 green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a and the primaries are a sandy rust one could mistake her for a separate highly temperamental bird and is not color. The fairly large beak is light species! Her overall plumage color is as common in captivity. grey and the iris of the eye is brown. greyish-brown, with the breast being The blue peafowl, as with all other There are two naked patches of white buff and the neck a dull green. The pheasants, is sexually dimorphic, skin above and below each eye, and a hen's face has one stripe over the with the peahen being drastically crest of feathers with barbs only at eyes, but the entire throat is a bare, duller than her gaudy mate. The male the tip adorn the crown. The male white patch of skin. She has a short is unmistakable, with his plumage boasts a huge train of 300 to 350 tail, and lacks the gorgeous train. being exceptionally brilliant. The long, barbed feathers, ending with a Both sexes have grey, spurred legs. male's head, neck and breast are a patterned eyespot or ocelli. This train radiant turquoise blue. The feathers can sometimes measure up to six feet, Husbandry of the back are greenish-gold with but it is usually about five feet, with The Indian peafowl is popular as a bronze edges. The tertiary wing the length of the bird's body exclud pet bird because of its ease of mainte coverts are barred white and black, ing the train being three to three and nance, wide varying diet and, of the primary coverts and secondaries one-half feet. The peahen, or female, course, all the dazzling colors! There are blackish with metallic blue tints, is so drab compared to her mate, that is also a great eagerness in peafowl to breed, which makes them all the more desirable. Peafowl eat a variety CHEESE THE BIRD CHALET of foods including shoots, leaves, CORN RI. 9W • P.O. Box 267 berries, seeds, snails, worms, mice West Park. N.Y. 12493 RED APPLE HQ1tdf~ Exotic Birds and snakes. Even small birds can be at EXOTIC ft. Acus:rories & Ol,~ N. Y.S. DiJlributinr For risk. If you have a garden, free reining Marion Zoological Inc. BIRDr-l!-- Ltlb:s' Porrol Buflet ~ peafowl may enjoy your plants before Dana Ochoa Tucson. AZ 85746 FEAS 11 (914)3&4-684' 1·80()...421-BIRD Phone 883-1206 " you can, destroying small sprouts and pecking holes in tomatoes. Fences will not help, for the peacock can fly Bird ~. Bird StmuJs' IJ~RiJyyards' P1antStmuJS Kathleen Szabo Harring quite easily, and will do so to satisfy domestic handraised babies l~LUE FEATt.!~~ PRODUCTS.:. their conceited selves. (305) 258-2373 Even with clipped wings, a peafowl Wood Krafts Unlimited can clear a seven foot fence with ease. LUVTHEM BIRDS, INC. 741 Placer Rd., Sunny Valley, OR 97497 Peafowl roost in trees or on the tallest p.G Box 0285, Goulds, FL 33170 (503) 474-2450 Richard & Susan Andrews point on the property, if trees aren't available, or too small. (They prefer to roost at least 30 feet off the ground.) Peacocks take dust baths, scratching the soil, then flapping their wings in it to penetrate the feather quills to exterminate parasites. Housing The peafowl is a hardy bird which can be let to have free run of your property, even if you live up north. Snow, freezing temperatures, and rain DOMESTIC, HAND-FED BABIES do not seem to affect them very much. But they need a shelter facing African Greys, Amazons, Caiques, south, for they don't like to get wet, and if the male's train gets soaked, he Cockatoos, Conures, Eclectus, may not be able to escape predators, which may include large dogs, hawks, Jardines, Lories, Macaws, Pionus, owls, skunks, opossums, and rac Senegals,TocoToucans, andOthers. coons. They can also be kept in an aviary, just as long as it meets the required size. A male needs at least OurSpecialtyis seven feet in height to display, and at least ten feet wide to be able to turn Rose-Breasted Cockatoos. around with his full train and at least 20 feet long so he can exercise. A pair Gail J. Worth can live in an aviary this size, but the larger the aviary the better. They will P.O. Box 1919 live peaceably with most other birds. Wilmington, CA 90744 Breeding Breeding season for the peacock, (213) 541-1180 which lasts from April to late June or July (when the male molts all of his 52 February / March 1990 long train feathers), is monsoon time ~ in Asia. At the time of breeding sea (5-') son, the peafowl start vocalizing, .;"., i' staking out territories and letting hens know where they are. And by ~l the way, despite the bird's beautiful appearance, he has not much of a song bird's voice. The main call is a loud, drawn-out scream, which may . he Bird Supply be mistaken for someone desperately screaming for help. The second call is a threatening call. It is a honk, which Catalog that soars is like an I8-wheeler's airhorn. They use this call when threatened. above the rest! As the breeding season proceeds, the males begin to display in their territories. And it is this courtship The exciting Wingnut Supply catalog. display which has made the peacock Our customers call this the largest. most informative so well known. It starts with the male and best-produced bird supply catalog they've ever seen l becoming totally still, with his head D Quality products from such EJ 68 fully-illustrated pages. packed tilting slightly downward. The bird manufacturers as Hagen. Nekton. with detailed information. then violently shakes himself all over, Kaytee. Lafeber. Mardel. Super Preen. McBaubbles Toys. Send for Ijours todalj! rattling the long train quills, and TFH Books and Prevue ~.,-. lowering the wings. With the wings - -------- -,) . - -- quivering and the train quills still Please send me the informative Wlngnut Supply lngnu rattling, the males throws the half catalog fIlled with eXCiting savings! Enclosed IS · t opened train up, again shaking all 55.00 Irefundable with my first orderl Supply over, and lifts the opened train to an NAME almost 90 0 angle, all of this happen 58 Providence Hwy.. East Walpole. MA 02032 ing in seconds. The bird then struts ADDRESS Order catalog and supplies TOLL FREE. and prances, turning to reveal the CITY STATE ZIP ]·800·999·PETI 48·hour delivery service available. drab backside and true tail, which is ordinary. He may strut for only seconds, or for well over an hour, and his intended audience may be a pea hen or even a group of admiring humans. While he is showing off, the peahens usually ignore him, and NORSHORE PETS when they do get ready for mating, A collection ofthe finest supplies they crouch down, with their wings partly opened. At this point, the male available for your birds. quickly closes and lowers his magnifi OUR cent train and mates with them in 29th YEAR turn. A few days after mating, the hen looks for a place to lay her four to eight buff colored eggs.