Grain-eating birds

Common peacock

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Common peacock (Pavo cristatus)

The common peacock is a large bird of the Pheasant family.

 

Spreading

The species is widely spread in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka at an altitude of up to 2000 m. Its habitat covers the areas south and east of the Indus River, in Jammu and Kashmir, eastern Assam, southern Mizoram and the entire Indian peninsula. It inhabits both, jungles and forest areas as well as cultivated lands near the settlements.

Although it was brought quite early to the Mediterranean, it found widespread use in Europe after the campaigns of Alexander the Great in India. Its domestication has helped the species spread to all parts of the world.

The peacock is a protected species. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife Act from 1972. The species has been declared the national bird of India.

 

Description

In the peacock, sexual dimorphism is clearly expressed. Males are brightly colored with long tail feathers that have characteristic "eyes" along their length. The length of the body is about 100-125 cm, and the tail - 40-200 cm. The males weigh 4 – 6 kg, and the weight of females varies from 2.75 to 4 kg. The head and neck are blue, the back is green, and the lower body is black. Females are grayish in color, more inconspicuous and do not have an elongated tail. The plumage of males up to the age of a year and a half resembles that of females. The characteristic coloring in its full brightness develops until their third year. The life expectancy is about 20 years.

 

Breeding

The peacock is a polygamous bird. Males live in groups of 3 to 5 females. The sexual maturity occurs at the age of two or three. The mating season lasts from April to September. They lay 4-10 eggs on the ground. The birds kept as decorative animals lay three times a year. The incubation lasts 28 days.

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