Wildlifeof Nepal
Indian Peafowl
Pheasants, Partridges & Quails
Photo: (c) Parth Kansara, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Pavo cristatus
Basic stats
Diet
Berries, grains, snakes, lizards and small rodents
Habitat
Open forest and cultivated land; roosts in tall trees
Range
Indian subcontinent; introduced widely elsewhere
Size
Male 100–120cm to the tail, up to 230cm with a full train; female about 97cm
Weight
Male 4.1–5.2kg; female 2.7–4.1kg
The Indian peafowl is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been introduced to many other parts of the world. The male has a blue head with a fan-shaped crest and a long train of upper-tail feathers tipped with eyespots, which he raises and quivers in display. He is among the heaviest members of his family, at 4.1 to 5.2kg, while the brown-bodied female weighs 2.7 to 4.1kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives mainly on the ground, foraging in small groups for berries and grains and also taking snakes, lizards and small rodents. It usually escapes on foot through undergrowth but flies up into tall trees to roost, and its loud calls often reveal a predator in the forest. The sources opened give nothing on its range within Nepal.
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Peafowl eat?
- Berries, grains, snakes, lizards and small rodents
- What habitat does the Indian Peafowl live in?
- Open forest and cultivated land; roosts in tall trees
- Where is the Indian Peafowl found?
- Indian subcontinent; introduced widely elsewhere
- How big is the Indian Peafowl?
- Male 100–120cm to the tail, up to 230cm with a full train; female about 97cm
- How much does the Indian Peafowl weigh?
- Male 4.1–5.2kg; female 2.7–4.1kg