Peacock species. Common peacock (Indian)

In the competition, the most beautiful bird in the world, the peacock, without any doubt, would take first place. The richness of colors that the peacock wants to show off at every opportunity is pleasing to the eye.

At the first meeting with a peacock, you will receive unforgettable experience for life. Grace in every step, and a variety of colors that tend to outshine everyone around.

With all the unusually noble external characteristics, who would have thought that the peacock is a close relative of the chicken family. Compare an ordinary chicken and a peacock. This fact of kinship does not fit in the head, but it is true.

Peacock species

Peacocks belong to the pheasant species and at the same time are part of the chicken order, where they are large representatives.

They are divided into 2 types:

• Ordinary or in another way it is called a crested peacock. This species is monotopic and is not subdivided into subgroups.
• Javan Peacock (Indochinese Green, Javanese Green, Burmese Green)

Description

The weight of a peacock can reach 5 kg, and the body length can be up to 1 meter. The tail of a peacock or it is also called a plume of about 1.5 meters, and in some individuals it reaches 2 meters.

On the head of the bird there is a small crest in the form of a crown. The small wings of a peacock help to fly short distances. These majestic birds are endowed with long and strong legs.

The behavior of a peacock is identical to that of a chicken. It is not alien to him to dig in the ground, he moves on his paws.

Peculiarities

The peacock bird has one memorable feature - a chic tail that opens in the form of a fan. Many are interested in the question: is a peacock with long wings of unique beauty - a female or a male?

Feathers of such a beautiful color are only males, and the shade of the female is much smaller and devoid of color.

A beautiful peacock - the combination flies out of many mouths. The pattern on the peacock's tail resembles an eye. Peacock feathers have characteristic colors:

• green;
• blue;
• sand with red;
• White color.

White color in peacocks is a little less common. The tail of a peacock serves as a defense tool and scares off a predator. With an approaching threat, it fluffs its tail, and the presence of a large number of eyes knocks down a predator.

In addition to the protective function, the tail is used during the mating season to attract a partner. Females have a brown unattractive color.

Life of feathered peacocks

The peacock bird chooses either a forest or an area saturated with shrubs as a permanent place. It is not uncommon for them to live close to people. This fact is easily explained, because they can eat the seeds of agricultural plants.

Peacocks select the place of settlement meticulously, prerequisite is the presence of a source of water and tall trees on which they can spend the night.

Scientists have identified many other interesting fact, communication of birds occurs by transmitting ultrasonic signals to each other. There is an assumption that in this way they transmit a signal of an approaching threat.

Reproduction and period of life

Mating activity lasts from April to May. During this period of time, the male fluffs his tail to lure the female. The width of the open tail reaches 2.5 meters.

When opened, an unusual crackling of feathers is heard. During mating games, up to 5 females gather near the male, who come running to admire the “narcissistic narcissist”.

As soon as the peacock sees that he is interested in his partner, he hides his tail and does not show his interest in breeding. After a short period of time, contact still occurs.

Peacock eggs are slightly larger than chicken eggs. The female lays 4 to 10 eggs.

Small peacocks are called peacocks. They grow quite quickly after hatching. Already from the first days between the little males there is a struggle for leadership.

The sex of young individuals can be found out only after reaching 5 weeks. The color on the feathers of young chicks appears by the third year of life, when they are fully ready for adulthood and reproduction.

Photo of a peacock

Peacocks are one of the most recognizable birds, but few people know what species are, where they live and how they differ. The homeland of the familiar peacock is India, from where the bird spread throughout the world. However, they live in Nepal and Cambodia and are even the national symbol of Myanmar. The smallest representatives can be found in Africa, and some domesticated birds of rare colors can reach tens of thousands of dollars in their price.

The image of a peacock is known to everyone from early childhood, and it was he who inspired the storytellers to create the firebird. They lead a sedentary lifestyle and are good fliers, preferring to spend most of their time on the ground. Peacocks feed on both animal and plant food. They love to feast on mollusks and young snakes, for which they are especially revered in India. Males grow long tail feathers before the start of the mating season. The fluffy tail plays several important roles - it serves to attract females, scare away small predators, and shows superiority over other males.

After the mating season, the plumage molts and the male becomes very similar to the female.

Peacocks of some species are polygamous. The family consists of one male and several females. Peacocks build nests in dense thickets. A clutch usually has no more than six eggs. Pava incubates eggs for a month. A few hours after hatching, the chicks are ready to follow their mother in search of food. African peacocks are slightly different in their behavior - a pair is formed once and does not break up until the death of one of the partners. For nesting, they choose high stumps, branched trees, split trunks and even crevices in the rocks. There are no more than four eggs in a clutch, but most often one or two. Pava incubates eggs for 27 - 29 days. All this time, the male is near the nest, guarding his female and clutch. He goes away only for a while to get food.

IN wild nature The following types of peacocks live:

• plain, blue or Indian,
• green or javanese,
• African.

Each of these species has its own habitat and several color forms. Most often, on the lawns of zoos and private farmsteads, you can meet an ordinary peacock. Despite the fact that the bird is tropical, it perfectly adapts to various climatic conditions, tolerates frosts well and quickly gets used to the owners. It is an ordinary peacock that is bred for the sake of tasty meat and beautiful feathers.

Green peacocks are under special protection - in nature, the species is on the verge of extinction due to the reduction of the natural habitat.

It is even more difficult to meet the African peacock in nature - it lives in a rather limited area, is shy, cautious and prefers to settle in dense jungle along the tributaries of the Congo.

Peacock blue or common

The common peacock is also called Indian and blue. He lives in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as on some islands in the Indian Ocean. The Indian peacock settles in dense forests and jungles, preferring to live near rivers or lakes. Often you can meet peacocks in mountainous areas at an altitude of up to two kilometers. The chest of the bird and the neck, as well as the head, are painted in rich crimson-blue tones, which in the sun can have a greenish or golden tint. The plumage of the back is blue-green, with a pronounced steel sheen. The tail feathers are brown and the rump feathers are bright green and have a bronze tint. Upper tail feathers end with a kind of fan with a black eye. The beak of the birds is pinkish, and the paws are bluish-gray, earthy in color.

For males, the following sizes are characteristic:

• weight - up to 4.5 kg,
• body length with tail - up to 1.8 meters,
• the length of the tail feathers is up to 180 cm.

Peacocks are smaller in size and more modest in color. The body length of the peahen does not exceed a meter. The head and neck are white on the sides, the bottom of the neck, as well as the upper back and breast are gray-green or brown-green. The rest of the plumage has an earthy, brownish color.

Indian common

The Indian peacock has no subspecies, however, in nature, and even more often in zoos, one can see a rare natural white color form.

The white peacock is not an albino, as many people think. White color is the result of a rare gene mutation. The main difference from albinos is the bird's blue eyes.

artificially by breeders different countries The following main colors were obtained and fixed:

• black-shouldered (black-winged or varnished),
• bronze,
• variegated (dark variegated and silver variegated),
• peach or pink
• opal,
• purple,
• lavender,
• cameo,
• midnight,
• carbonic.

Among the color forms, the only black peacock is missing. Even coal has a predominance of dark green feathers. Most artificially colored birds have yellow or gray-yellow feet and a yellow-brown beak, and are standard sizes for the species.

In 2005, an international association was created, the purpose of which was the coordinated work on breeding peacocks, fixing plumage colors and preserving wild species.

The association has identified ten basic colors for the common subspecies, twenty acceptable base colors and 185 plumage color variations obtained by crossing birds with different colors and backgrounds.

green peacock view

Javanese peacock or green - the largest. The body of the bird reaches more than two meters in length, and the wingspan is one and a half meters. The feathers of the uppertail in males sometimes grow up to 200 cm. The weight of the Javanese peacock often exceeds five kilograms. The Javanese peacock has bright plumage, which is dominated by green tones. The upper part of the neck, as well as the head, has a greenish-brown plumage. Feathers around the eyes are gray-blue.

The breast of the bird and the upper part of the back are blue-green in color, with yellow and reddish spots. The rest of the plumage is reddish-yellow with brown patches. The beak of the bird is often black, and the legs are earthy gray. The green peacock is found in the forests of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and in the southern regions of China, as well as in Myanmar. The Javan peacock is a territorial bird, preferring dense forests along the banks of rivers, swampy areas with an abundance of shrubs. Often, the Javanese peacock also settles in mountainous areas, at an altitude of up to one kilometer.

The Javan peacock has three subspecies:

• Burmese,
• Javanese,
• Indochinese.

Congolese peacock species

The African peacock or the Congolese red peacock is native to Central Africa. It lives in the humid swampy areas of Zaire and along the tributaries of the Congo. African peacock - does not differ in large size. The male has a body length rarely exceeding 70 cm, and the females - 50 cm. The plumage is greenish, with a rich red-bronze tint. Each feather has a bright purple edging.

The African peacock differs from its relatives in that the head is completely devoid of plumage and the males do not grow a luxurious uppertail during the mating season. The red African peacock is called for its bright red neck. A neat head with a small gray beak is decorated with a crest. The paws of males and females have spurs.

Peacocks, thanks to their impressive fan-shaped tail, are deservedly considered the most beautiful of birds. But few people know that they belong to the order of chickens, the pheasant family. However, in fairness to peacocks, it must be said that they are still much closer to a turkey than to a chicken. Also, not everyone knows what peacocks are. They are represented by two genera: Asian and African. Birds of the Asian genus are ordinary and green species of peacocks. In addition, there are many artificially bred breeds.

The image of a peacock is familiar to almost anyone from childhood. These birds tend to be sedentary and although they are quite good at flying, they still prefer to spend a significant amount of their time on the ground. These birds feed on mixed food, not disdaining mollusks, lizards and small snakes. Before the mating season, males grow long tails. The male uses his tail for several purposes:

• to attract the attention of females;
• in order to scare away small predators;
• so he shows superiority over competitors.

However, after the mating season, males often molt and are indistinguishable from females. It is worth noting that Asian species of peacocks are polygamous.

As a rule, these birds live in a family of a male and 4-5 females.

Individuals prefer to nest in the thicket of the forest, and lay no more than 10 eggs. They incubate them for about a month, and the chicks themselves, a few hours after hatching, can follow their parents in search of food.

African peacocks are radically different in their behavior: their pairs are formed only once and remain until the death of one of the pair.

They also build nests in other conditions: on stumps, sprawling trees, and even between rocks. The number of eggs in a clutch is no more than 4, but more often 1-2 pieces. The female incubates the eggs for 27 to 29 days, and during all this time the male is nearby, guarding the female and the clutch. He leaves only to get food.

It is worth noting that only such species live in the natural habitat:

• green (Javanese, Burmese, Indochinese);
• blue or common Indian;
• African.

Each of the listed species has its own habitats, and has several color forms.

As a rule, in zoos, in private lands and enclosures, you can see the Indian peacock, which adapts perfectly to a different climate, survives well, frosts and is quite attached to its owners.

If we continue the topic of species diversity, then all domestic breeds of peacocks were obtained in the process of breeding.

Common (Indian)

The Indian common peacock is the most numerous species and has no subspecies. As the name implies, their homeland is India, but they can still be seen in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, color mutations of this variety are still inherent. This is due to the fact that the bird has been kept in captivity for a long time and, of course, succumbed to artificial selection.

In their natural environment, Indian peacocks settle in the jungle or dense forests, not far from water bodies. But these birds are also found in many mountainous regions (at an altitude of no higher than 2 km).

This breed has an unusually beautiful plumage:

• their head, neck and chest is blue in color, which casts green or gold;
• the back is blue-green, with a steel sheen;
• tail feathers are brownish, uppertails are bright green with a bronze tint;
• the rump ends with fans, decorated with black eyes.

In addition to plumage features, the Indian common peacock differs from other species in its pinkish beak and bluish-gray, slightly earthy paws.

Also, males have the following characteristics:

• weight about 4.5 kg;
• body length with tail - 180 cm;
• the length of the tail feathers can also reach 180 cm.

The female is slightly smaller and more modest in color. Her body is about a meter in length, the head and throat area on the sides are white, and the bottom of the neck and the top of the chest and back are gray-green or brownish-greenish. The rest of its plumage is endowed with a brownish, even earthy color.

But these birds also have their drawbacks: they have a terribly nasty cry and they do not tolerate neighborhood, so only themselves can live in an aviary.

White (albino)

Despite the popular belief that the white peacock is an albino, it is not.

The appearance of a white peacock is the result of a genetic mutation of an ordinary Indian species.

In addition, such birds have blue eyes, while all albinos have red eyes due to the complete absence of melanin. Snow-white peacocks have been known since the 18th century and were found in their natural environment. Since then, they have been successfully bred in captivity.

White peacock chicks are white-yellowish in color and up to 2 years old the male from the female is almost impossible to distinguish. The only sign is the length of the legs (in the male, the limbs are longer). After puberty, the male develops a beautiful long tail plumage. At the ends of the tail feathers, a yellowish pattern of eyes is rather weakly manifested.

It should be emphasized separately that such a decorative peacock appears only as a result of crossing purely white individuals.

Congolese (African)

The African or Congo peacock was previously considered related to the genus of Asian birds. However, over time, certain differences were discovered, which contributed to their separation into a separate type.

Unlike Asian relatives, the African peacock has weaker gender differences. So, the male lacks a feather train with eyes, and some differences from other birds in sexual behavior are also noted.

You can find them only in the forests of Zaire, in the bed of the Congo River.

The appearance of the birds is as follows:

• body length: male - 64-70 cm, female - 60-63 cm;
• birds do not have plumage on their heads, and the throat zone is colored red;
• on the head - a tuft of erect feathers (the male is light, the female is brown-chestnut);
• plumage of the body: in the male - bronze-green with purple edging, in the female - green with a metallic sheen);
• long legs of birds have one spur each;
• the beak is gray with a blue tint.

As already mentioned, the Congo peacock is a monogamous bird.

Javanese

The green Javan peacock lives in southeast Asia: in Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, southern China, and also on the island of Java.

In Burma, this kind of peacock is even considered a symbol of the country.

The description of the Javan peacock is as follows:

• a brighter color than the blue Indian peacock (green shades predominate);
• larger sizes, in comparison with relatives (the largest variety);
• his voice is a little softer than that of other peacock representatives;
• his crest is lowered, and his tail is flat and somewhat elongated.

It should be noted that breeding birds in captivity makes their males aggressive, especially during the breeding season, which lasts from April to September.

Females can also be aggressive when caring for offspring. The Javan peacock can be crossed with an Indian relative, and their offspring will be capable of further reproduction.

Red

The red peacock is the same African peacock mentioned above that lives in Central Africa. "Red" is called because of the bright reddish color of the neck and the red-bronze tint of the greenish plumage. Nevertheless, selection is in full swing, and on the basis of this species in captivity breeds of more saturated and interesting colors are obtained.

Royal

The situation is similar with the royal peacocks. So, in India, Thailand and Vietnam, white-colored peacocks are called. Due to the eye-catching and extraordinary coloration, these birds often became inhabitants of the royal gardens.

Moreover, the white royal peacock in some parts of India is even revered as a sacred bird.

The peacock is an extremely beautiful bird revered in many cultures. In Asia, they are especially revered not only for their appearance, but also for the ability to warn of the approach of danger, rain or predator with sharp and loud cries. And in some other cultures, they are even considered a witch bird. But one thing is clear for sure - peacocks do not leave anyone indifferent.

Peacock considered the most beautiful bird in the world, and the peacock's tail is of extraordinary beauty. Common peacock ( pavocristatus), or the Indian peacock, is the most numerous species of peacocks, belongs to the order of galliformes, the pheasant family, and the genus peacocks.

Although Indian peacocks are members of the order Galliformes, this species has been shown to be genetically closer to (Meleagris gallopavo) than to (Gallus gallus).

Description of the peacock and photos

Ordinary peacocks have a long graceful neck and a small head with a small tuft: the males have a blue tuft, and the females have a brown one, the color of plumage. The voice of the peacock is sharp and not very pleasant. The body length of a male peacock reaches 100-125 cm, the length of the tail is 40-50 cm, while the length of the covering feathers of the uppertail is 120-160 cm. The weight of the male peacock is 4 - 4.25 kg. The plumage of this beautiful bird contains a wide variety of colors: the back is green, the head, part of the chest and neck are blue, the bottom of the body is black. The female Indian peacock is smaller and has a more modest, brown color.

peacock tail

A riot of plumage colors and a luxurious fan-shaped eyed tail created a peacock image the most beautiful bird in the world. Interestingly, only males can boast of such beautiful tails, females of this species were less fortunate. Their plumage is not fragrant with colors, but consists only of grayish-brown tones. Ornithologists call this sexual dimorphism. It turns out that what we call a peacock's tail is actually nothing more than the feathers of the tail. It's all about the height and location of the pen. Shorter feathers cover longer ones, reaching one and a half meters in length. The feather consists of rare thread-like fibers with a bright "eye" at the end.

Peacock is the most beautiful bird in the world

Peacocks are the most beautiful and large birds in the world, this is the reason for the interest of man in this species. As an exotic miracle, they were kept in Roman parks, first for aesthetic purposes, and then they were caught and served at the table during magnificent feasts. Peacock meat was seasoned with various spices, it was considered one of the most delicious meat dishes. Nowadays, peacocks are kept exclusively as ornamental birds.

Peacocks can fly

With impending danger, an ordinary peacock can take off, but the flight will not be long and high: only a few meters ahead.

Peacock species

The Indian peacock is not divided into species, but has a huge range of color variations (mutations). The following colors of peacocks are distinguished:

• Wild
• White
• Black-shouldered (black-winged, lacquered)
• Motley
• dark mottled
• Cameo, or silvery dun
• Cameo black-shouldered or oatmeal
• white peephole
• Carbonic
• Lavender
• Bronze Buford
• Purple
• Opal
• Peach
• silver mottled
• Midnight
• yellowish green

The United Peacock Breeding Association officially distinguishes only 10 primary colors (wild, white, cameo, charcoal, purple, bronze Buford, peach, opal, midnight yellowish green), 5 secondary colors (wild - striped wing, black-shouldered, motley, white eye , silver motley), as well as 20 variations of basic colors and 185 varieties of the common peacock, which appear as a result of mixing basic colors and their variations.

Peacocks, due to their brightly colored fan-shaped tail, are considered the most beautiful birds of the Pheasant family of the Galliformes order. It is the males who own the long motley feathers that cover the tail, which have a flat shape. Peacocks are divided into two genera: Asian and African. All Asian peacocks are divided into ordinary and green peacock species. Hybrid forms originated in captivity and are referred to as spaulding.

Did you know? Kate Spaulding was the first to cross the Asian species of peacock and get offspring capable of breeding.

Consider what peacocks are, their classification and characteristics.

Indian, or common peacock

The Indian peacock is one of the most numerous species and has no subspecies. In its natural habitat it is widely distributed in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. However, color mutations are inherent in this species. The bird has been kept by man for many generations and is subjected to artificial selection.

What is commonly called a peacock's tail is actually not. What are the bright, long feathers that cover the tail of a peacock called? This plume is called the "ruff". The length of the body of a peacock is 1-1.25 m, the tail is 0.4-0.5 m. The bright feathers of the uppertail are inherent only in males, they are 1.2-1.6 m long. The head, neck, chest are bright blue in color, the bottom of the body black and green back. The male has a mass of 4-4.25 kg; the female is smaller, with a calmer feather color.

Peacock and peahen up to 1.5 years outward signs are no different. Bright long feathers grow only at puberty of the male at the age of 3 years. The blue peacock is a polygamous bird. The male lives with 3-5 females. From April to September, the female lays 4-10 eggs directly on the ground. The incubation period lasts 28 days. In captivity, peacocks can make up to three clutches per season, but they are not very prolific and do not get along well with poultry. The life span of a peacock is approximately 20 years.

Breeds of peacocks are formed by man as a result of selection work. Consider varieties of an ordinary peacock in relation to plumage color:

• White (white) - is not albino, refers to the main color of the plumage, known until 1823;
• Black-shouldered, or lacquered (black-shouldered, japanned) - refers to the secondary coloration of plumage, known in Europe since about 1823, in America since 1830;
• Pied (pied) - belongs to the secondary color of plumage, known until 1823;
• Dark motley (dark pied) - known since 1967;
• Cameo, or silvery-grayish brown (cameo, silver dun) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified in the USA in 1967;
• Black-shouldered cameo (cameo black-shouldered) - discovered in the USA in the mid-1970s;
• White eye (white-eyed) - refers to the secondary color of plumage, identified in the United States in the late 1970s;
• Coal (charcoal) - refers to the main color of plumage, identified in the USA in 1982. Females of this mutation carry unfertilized eggs;
• Lavender (lavender) - identified in the USA in 1984;
• Bronze Buford (Buford bronze) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified by Buford Ebbolt in the USA in the 1980s;
• Purple (purple) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified in the USA in 1987;
• Opal (opal) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified in the United States in the early 1990s;
• Peach (peach) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified in the United States in the early 1990s;
• Silver-motley (silver pied) - refers to the secondary color of plumage, identified in the USA in 1991-1992;
• Midnight (midnight) - refers to the main color of plumage, identified in the USA in 1995;
• Yellowish green (jade) - refers to the main color of the plumage, identified in the USA in 1995.

Important! Together with positive qualities peacocks have some negative ones: they have a rather unpleasant voice, cause damage to the decorativeness of the habitat, and are aggressive towards other birds.

There are 20 variations for each basic plumage color, excluding white. As a result of combinations of primary and secondary colors, 185 varieties of the common peacock can be obtained. Consider the main variations of the common peacock.

The white peacock is a fairly common variety of the common peacock. Birds have blue eyes, so they cannot be albinos. The white peacock gained fame even before 1823. It has been discovered in its natural habitat and successfully bred in captivity. The white color of a bird is genetically determined.

The chicks are yellow with white wings. Up to two years, males and females cannot be distinguished by color - they are white. A distinctive feature is the length of the legs: in males it is longer. After puberty (after 2 years), snow-white long feathers appear in the male. The outlines of the eyes are faintly distinguished on the tail feathers. To obtain white offspring, it is necessary to cross only white peacocks with white ones.

Important! During the mating season, the peacock spreads its tail, attracting females. Scientists claim that spots on peacock feathers are an indicator of its immune system. Therefore, the female thus chooses the healthiest male for procreation.

The black-winged peacock (Pavo muticus nigripennis) is a species of the common peacock and differs from it in its more black shiny plumage of the shoulders and wings with a bluish tint. The female is slightly lighter than the male in color. Her neck and back are covered with brown and yellowish stains.

Did you know? Until the end of the 15th century, peacocks were grown in Europe for meat, until this delicacy was replaced by turkey.

The green peacock is a species of Asian peacock, living in Southeast Asia. In its natural habitat it can be found in Indochina, Bangladesh, Northeast India, West Malaysia, Thailand, South China, Java. Compared with an ordinary peacock, the green one is much larger, the plumage is brighter with a metallic sheen, the legs, neck and crest are longer, the voice is less loud and harsh.

The body length of the male is 1.8-3 m, wings - 0.46-0.54 m, tail 0.4-0.47 m, bright feathers covering the tail - 1.4-1.6 m. Head and upper part of the neck is brown-green in color, the area around the eyes is bluish-gray, the lower part of the neck is a greenish-golden scaly type, the chest and back are blue-green with red and yellow spots, the lower back is copper-bronze, shoulders and wings are dark green, flight feathers are brown with black and gray spots.

Bird weight up to 5 kg. The elongated feathers are similar in color to the feathers of the common peacock, but have a metallic copper-red tint. The feathers on the crest are wider, the beak is black, and the legs are gray. The female color almost does not differ from the male, but differs in smaller size and weight. It is two times smaller than the male, and has 4 times less weight.

Consider the subspecies of the green peacock, which differ in plumage color and habitat geography.

The Javan peacock (Pavo muticus muticus) is a subspecies of the green peacock, living in Malaysia and on the island of Java. Distinctive feature of this subspecies is a golden-green scaly color with a metallic tint and a blue spot on the wings of a bird.

Did you know? Peacock, in comparison with other poultry, perfectly withstands the winter cold, suffering little from snow.

Indochinese green peacock

The Indochinese peacock (Pavo muticus imperator) is a subspecies of the green peacock. and lives in Indochina. It is similar to subspecies muticus but has a dark green neck and more black on the wing coverts and secondary feathers. The coloration near the eyes of the peacock is brighter compared to other subspecies.

The Burmese peacock (Pavo muticus spicifer) is a subspecies of the green peacock. and lives in Northeast India, northwest Burma. In color, it belongs to the palest of all subspecies. The neck and chest are olive-blue with a metallic tint, the head is dark purple or blue, there are more black tones on the wings. Since 1940 it has been the national symbol of Myanmar. Instances of this subspecies are considered almost extinct.

African or Congo peacock

The African peacock (Afropavo congensis) was previously considered related to the genus of Asiatic peacocks. But later a number of differences were discovered, which allowed them to be distinguished into a separate genus. Compared to Asiatic peacocks, African peacocks show slight differences between males and females, there is no feather plume with eyes in the male, and there are significant differences in the sexual behavior of individuals. The Congo peacock was first described by American zoologist James Chapin in 1936. This is a wild peacock that lives in the forests of Zaire and the Congo River basin.

The male is 64-70 cm long, without plumage on the head, blue-gray, orange-red in the throat area. The neck is covered with short velvety black feathers. On the head is a tuft of upright feathers. The bird's body is bronze-green above with large purple edging. The rump, like that of Asiatic peacocks, is covered with bright oval spots. The tail is black with a greenish-blue border, the undertail is black.

On long legs, there is one spur each in both the male and the female. The beak is gray with a blue tint. The female is 60-63 cm long, has a chestnut-brown crest, the bare parts of the head are gray-brown in color, and the neck is red. The body is green with a metallic sheen and light brown stripes. African peacocks are a monogamous species. In nature, they build nests on stumps, in the forks of branches. The female lays and incubates 2-4 eggs for 26-27 days. The male is constantly nearby and guards the nest.

You can be sure that beautiful peacocks with a charming fan will give a lot of aesthetic pleasure to everyone.

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