In recent years, we are witnessing a rich abundance of Indian peafowl (Pavo crista-tus) populations in the wild as well as in human-populated areas. The Indian peafowl, the largest among pheasants, is commonly known as the blue or common peafowl. It belongs to the order Galliformes and family Phasianidae (pheasant) and is 6–7 ft in length, making it one of the largest birds that can fly. Due to its ‘flagship’ value and its exalted position in Hindu mythology, the peafowl was proclaimed the National Bird of India in 1963. There are three spe-cies of peafowl, viz. the Congo peafowl, which is indigenous to parts of Africa, the blue peafowl and the green peafowl, which are endemic to Asia. The Indian peacock has the most exquisite feathers compared to the other peacock species with only a few scattered sets of feathers. Peafowl are ground-dwelling birds that consume a variety of foods, including snakes, amphibians, ants, flies, plants, fruits and seeds. They can be found in warm, open spaces with low trees, such as farms, wooded areas and wil-derness. Peafowl are widespread throughout Asia, although they are particularly preva-lent in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar1 © 2023, Current Science.All Rights Reserved.
