Analogies

We have a tendency to think of Peafowl as nothing more than a bird where the males advertise themselves to attract females. Much is focused on the breeding behaviours and less so on ecology and other kinds of behaviour. I think many of the conceptions we have about Peafowl displays are wrong. I will address this a bit later, but first it is important to understand the niche of the Green Peafowl. We must focus on other long-legged birds around the world to gain a better understanding of peafowl.

Secretarybird

Photo by Yoky from Wikipedia

The Secretarybird is found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a nomadic species and can be found in different elevations ranging from the coastal plains to the highlands. Its preferred habitat consists of grasslands or savannah. Secretarybirds spend much of the day on the ground but roost on Acacia trees. The Secretarybird is monogamous and associates in pairs.

Compared to Green Peafowl and other birds in this post, Secretarybirds are strictly carnivorous. Famous for snake hunting, it discovers prey by stomping on vegetation. They either stomp on their prey or they can chase them and strike them with their bill. Their diet also consists of insects and vertebrates of various sizes.

Seriema

Red-Legged Seriema at the National Zoo, photograph by Frank Lin

The Red-Legged Seriema is a South American counterpart to the Secretarybird. They are unrelated but share similar traits due to convergent evolution. They too feed on snakes and other small animals, but also occasionally on plants. When they take reptiles they beat their prey onto the ground, or throw it at a hard surface. They will also rip larger prey into pieces with their claws. The Seriema prefer to walk instead of flying because their wings are short.

Like Secretarybirds and some Green Peafowl, the Seriema prefers a grassland habitat. Its distinctive call can carry for kilometers. It likes meadows near rivers but tries to avoid wetlands and crop fields. (Green Peafowl, on the other hand, are sometimes considered a crop pest and unfortunately some farmers will poison them)

Blue Crane

Blue Crane at the National Zoo, photograph by Frank Lin

An elegant species, the Blue Crane is the national bird of South Africa, and there is a lot more than meets the eye.  Unlike some cranes, Blue Cranes rarely feed by wetlands and are a more grassland species. Blue Cranes mostly on grasses and sedges, as well as insects. They may also occasionally take on small vertebrates. Blue Cranes are somewhat social, less so during the breeding season. They have a strict hierarchy with dominant males at the top. Cranes of all ages engage in dancing, not just for courtship.

What is a Peafowl?

We often have the image of peafowl, more specifically peacocks, the males, as birds that show off their feathers to attract potential mates. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to peafowl.

First of all, what is a peafowl? They are traditionally classified in the order Galliformes and traditionally considered part of the pheasant family. However, there have been some studies that show Phasianidae is paraphyletic. In my opinion, peafowl should not be classified as part of Phasianidae.

There are three species classified as Peafowl - the Indian or Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), the Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) and the Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis).The Indian Peafowl is one of the world's most well-known bird species. The Green Peafowl, and its many subspecies (or species) will be the key focus of this blog. The Congo Peafowl is an enigma that was only discovered in 1936 and seems to be a more primitive species than the Green and Indian Peafowls. The Argus Pheasants (Argusianus and Rheinartia) are not true pheasants, but are also primitive forms of Peafowl.

Which brings us back to the Green Peafowl. Known as the Dragonbird or Snake Dancer in its native haunts, it is the largest galliform in overall length and wingspan, it distinguishes itself from its Indian cousin by its shafted crest, coloured facial skin, and iridescent green neck. Its secondary wing feathers are black with scapular feathers that are blue.

There are traditionally believed to be three subspecies of Green Peafowl:
*The nominate subspecies, Pavo muticus muticus is currently endemic to the East and West ends of the Island of Java. It was also believed to be found in Malaysia and Southern Thailand though there is some indication the Java and Malay forms were distinct. muticus is often referred to as the Java Peafowl, but this name has unfortunately been used to describe all Green Peafowl, which should be avoided. muticus is typically described as the "brightest" or most "colourful" of the three subspecies, which has led to its demise in Malaysia and Southern Thailand.
*P. m. spicifer is the westernmost subspecies, found mainly in Burma, often referred to as the Burmese Peafowl. It was also once found in Northeast India and Bangladesh, and captive birds of this morphotype are also found in Thailand and Malaysia, but its status in these countries is unknown. Sadly, it has sometimes been described as the "dullest" of the three subspecies. This is a subjective description and has sadly led it to be rather rare compared to the other two subspecies. Few breeders seem to fancy this form and its status in the wild is currently unknown, although it is known to occur in Northern Burma and has been reintroduced in the Southern Burma. Its neck is a matte green to gun-metal blue hue, while its wings are darker than the other subspecies. spicifer tends to be a larger bird than the other two subspecies, with a taller stance. It is also distinctive in that the bluish feathers of the crown and head extend more far behind the head than the other two subspecies of Green Peafowl, forming a distinctive demarcation line.
*P. m. imperator, the Indo-Chinese Peafowl, is the most widely distributed of the three subspecies, found from eastern Burma east towards Southern Vietnam. The Green Peafowl of Yunnan are also described as imperator. Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia are home to its last strongholds. Often it is described as intermediate between the other two forms, not quite as brilliantly coloured as muticus but more brilliant that spicifer. This is no longer an accurate description. The facial skin is very dark and intense, a bold orange and blue. Finally, the tertial feathers of the hind wing are often extensively barred.

We will be looking at the classification of these three forms a bit later.

Welcome!

Welcome to The Dragonbird's Lair.

This blog is dedicated to bringing the awareness of the spectacular bird known as Green Peafowl, traditionally classified as Pavo muticus. It is not meant to be the final authority on Peafowl, but is meant to provide a new look into these fascinating creatures.

Green Peafowl in captivity, photograph by Frank Lin

NOTICE: Unless noted, I do not take credit for the pictures used on this blog. All photographs belong to their respective photographers and are only used here for education purposes. This project is solely made to bring awareness and currently does not fund any conservation organization directly.