The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a beautiful species of bird that is a part of the Phasianidae family. Earlier, they used to reside in Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Java Islands, Cambodia), but now they are also found in northern Myanmar and southern China.
Apart from green peafowl, there are two more types of peafowls which are the Indian peafowl and the Congo peafowl. The Indian peafowl lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the Congo peafowl lives in the woods of Africa.
The male and female species of Indian and Congo peafowl have strikingly different plumage. However, the male and female species of green peafowl cannot be distinguished if not observed.
They both have green and blue plumage, a long green neck, and a pointy crest. The only difference is that the males are bigger and have longer tail feathers in comparison to the females.
The diet of these beautiful birds in the wild consists of berries and seeds as well as insects, frogs, small mammals, and poisonous snakes. Nowadays, their population is declining in number due to habitat loss and illegal hunting and trade practices.
Read on to know more interesting facts about this beautiful bird that can also be seen in many zoos around the world.
For a detailed insight into the Phasianidae family, check out the Indian peafowl and the peahen.
Green Peafowl Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Green Peafowl?
The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a bird species from the family of Phasianidae. It is considered by many observers to be the most beautiful bird of the pheasant family.
What class of animal does a Green Peafowl belong to?
Green peafowl belongs to the Aves class of animals. These birds are warm-blooded vertebrates that belong to the phylum Chordata.
How many Green Peafowls are there in the world?
The population of green peafowls is known to range from 15000 to 30000 currently in the world. Green peafowls can further be divided into three subspecies.
They are Pavo muticus spicifer, Pavo muticus imperator, and Pavo muticus muticus. Pavo muticus spicifer is an extinct subspecies that was earlier found in northeast India and southwest Bangladesh to northeastern parts of Burma.
Pavo muticus imperator is green in color with a long crest, neck, and train. Pavo muticus imperator lives across Burma, Thailand, South China (where they are called Chinese green peafowl), Laos, and Vietnam.
Pavo muticus muticus is the brightest species and is commonly found in Java and is also called the Javanese green peafowl or the Java green peafowl. Apart from Java, these species were also found in Thailand and the Malaysian Peninsula, but nowadays, they are extinct.
Where does a Green Peafowl live?
The population of this species was found mostly in southeast Asia, but now they are seen in northern Myanmar, south China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Java islands, and Cambodia. These birds thrive in lowland areas with tall grasses.
What is a Green Peafowl's habitat?
The distribution of these species is from evergreen and deciduous forests, primary and secondary forests as well as non-tropical and tropical forests. They also thrive in bamboo woods, savannahs, grasslands, farm edges, and on the banks of rivers or any other water body.
The habitat of green peafowl in Vietnam is a dry, deciduous forest far away from any human settlements.
Who do Green Peafowls live with?
Green peafowls, like most of the peacock species, are social birds. They stay in a family group, which is known as a party.
Together they hunt for their food, clean each other with their beaks, and also take rest in a cool shelter. At night, the whole family sleeps together in trees that are 33-49 ft high to protect themselves from wild animals hunting them. The green peafowls who have grown old become solitary.
How long does a Green Peafowl live?
The approximate lifespan of this bird is 15 years in the wild. Although when these species are held captive, they can live for up to 23 years.
How do they reproduce?
These species are polygynous in the wild. The breeding season starts during the spring, is from April, and continues till June.
The males are known for trying to attract the females by raising their tail feathers and rattling them and flaunting their colorful ocelli. After mating, they build their nest safely on the ground in a well-protected area. Here the female lays between three and six eggs and then incubates the eggs for 26-28 days.
After this, the green peafowl eggs hatch. The young peachicks who are born have good eyesight right from the beginning. Therefore, they become independent soon and leave the nest quickly.
Their flight also takes place in just two weeks. In captivity, these birds are known to be monogamous.
What is their conservation status?
The green peafowl conservation status is Endangered, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. The population of these species is declining due to significant habitat loss and illegal hunting. Poachers have been hunting these birds because of their meat, eggs, and feathers.
Green Peafowl Fun Facts
What do Green Peafowls look like?
A green peafowl is known to be a gorgeous bird belonging to the pheasant family. Both sexes have glossy emerald green necks, long legs, and pointy crests.
They have yellow cheeks and dark grey beaks. Their flight feathers are dark brown.
The upper tail-covert, also known as a train, is extremely long and hides the real tail of this bird. This blue and green train is adorned with numerous eye-like shapes that are flaunted when the bird fans its tail. The two sexes are identical, and it is quite a difficult job to tell them apart if not observed.
The only difference is that the males are bigger and have longer tail coverts in comparison to the females or peahens. Both of them from afar generally look dark in color, and their reddish-brown flight feathers are visible only when they fly.
How cute are they?
These birds with their green and blue plumage are considered to be the cutest birds in their scientific family. During the breeding season, these species rise and flaunt their trains which become a broad fan-like structure. This is an extremely rare sight and attracts the attention of humans.
How do they communicate?
These birds are known to be very loud and noisy. They call loudly to mark their territories and communicate with other peafowls.
The call of the males sounds like 'ki-wao', and the call of the females sounds like 'aow-aa'. The males call repeatedly at dusk and dawn. When they sense danger they rattle their feathers which produce a low-pitched sound that is not audible to humans.
How big is a Green Peafowl?
These birds are 3.2-9.8ft (1-3m) long, which is almost twice the size of a chicken.
How fast can a Green Peafowl move?
Though these birds have huge bodies and heavy wings, they are swift fliers. A green peafowl can fly at the highest speed of 10 mph (16 kph).
How much does a Green Peafowl weigh?
A male green peafowl weighs 8.3-11 lb (3.8-5 kg), while a female green peafowl weighs 6-8.8 lb (2.8-4 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
Male green peafowls are called peacocks, and female green peafowls are called peahens.
What would you call a baby Green Peafowl?
A baby green peafowl is called a peachick.
What do they eat?
The diet of these species generally is known to include berries and seeds along with frogs, insects, invertebrates, and other small animals. They can also prey on poisonous snakes. Apart from this, termites, flower buds, and petals also form a huge part of their diet.
Are they aggressive?
The males of this species have been observed to be extremely territorial. They become quite aggressive if anyone gets close to their nests. This is more common during the breeding season.
Would they make a good pet?
No, the population of these species is declining, and therefore these species are protected by law. Moreover, these are wild birds who thrive in their natural habitat and hence should not be domesticated.
Did you know...
The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) used to be the traditional emblem of Burmese monarchs. It appeared on the flag of Burma from 1943 to 1945 and also on Burmese currency.
When is green peafowl breeding season?
The breeding season of this bird species occurs during the spring, which is from April. It can extend up to June.
What is the difference between peacocks and peafowls?
We often use the word 'peacock' to describe both sexes, but in reality, a peacock is supposed to denote a male, and the peahen a female. Both of them collectively are referred to as peafowls.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the peacock and the marbled murrelet.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our green peafowl coloring pages.
