俗に「クジャク」と呼ばれるインドクジャク (Pavo cristatus) は、南アジア原産の大きな鳥だが、人間の手で世界中に広められた。オスは青い光沢のある鮮やかな羽と、非常に大きな飾りのついた尾があり、丸い模様の付いた大きな羽を広げて、大きさを誇示することで有名である。この動作は、メスを引き付けたり、他のオスを威嚇するための行動である。メスは、茶色の羽、首の後ろにある鮮やかな青い模様、扇状の尾がないなど、オスとは全く違った姿をしている。オス、メスの両方に羽のトサカがある。
Latin Name
Pavo cristatus
Featured
false
Slug
indian-peafowl
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Image
Conservation Status
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Region
Animal Facts
The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and represents wisdom in the religion of Buddhism.
There is a direct correlation between how many eye-spots a peacock has on his tail-fan and how successful he is finding mates.
Peahens are often more aggressive than peacocks. They will fight other females to gain access to a particularly attractive male and prevent others from getting close to him.
Peacocks will moult and lose all their tail feathers in a 2 week period during late summer. They spend the winter re-growing them ready for the following mating season.
Peafowl often kill and eat baby cobras. This behaviour has lead to them being respected and revered in Indian folklore.