Abstract
Ah, yes, the magnificent Indian Blue Peafowl, more commonly referred to as the peacock or peahen, is known to ornithologists as Pavo cristatus, a Latin name meaning "crested peacock'.' Almost everyone knows of this splendid bird and, perhaps, also of his vanity. For as long as man has known of the peacock, the bird has been tagged with the tale of being proud and vainglorious. The exact creature of origin of the peacock is unknown, but there is evidence that he has been around for about 500,000 years. He has been mentioned in the Bible and in Shakespeare's literature. Even today, we use the saying "proud as a peacock'' and his name is synonymous with one of the most illuminating shades of blue in the entire spectrum. No other bird has been so admired for beauty as the peacock.
Originating in the forests of India and Sri Lanka, the peacock has been sent to every country in Europe, and can be found also in America, Mexico, Australia, and other places world-wide. His historical past goes beyond the Roman Empire, where he was declared a delicacy. The peacock was in America before George Washington's time and graced plantations and farms. Today, however, his main haunts include zoos and estates, and even some private farms.
I am fifteen years old, but I am boundlessly enthusiastic about this extraordinary bird. The Indian peafowl has been revered for its beauty for thousands of years. India chose this flamboyant creature to be their national bird. Pavo cristatus is found from the foothills of the Himalayas south to the island of Sri Lanka. The Indian peacock is not the only peafowl found wild on earth. His close relative, theJavan or green peafowl, is found further east, from southeast Assam to Thailand and southern China, including the Malaysian peninsula and the island of Java. The Javan green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a highly temperamental bird and is not as common in captivity.
The blue peafowl, as with all other pheasants, is sexually dimorphic, with the peahen being drastically duller than her gaudy mate. The male is unmistakable, with his plumage being exceptionally brilliant. The male's head, neck and breast are a radiant turquoise blue. The feathers of the back are greenish-gold with bronze edges. The tertiary wing coverts are barred white and black, the primary coverts and secondaries are blackish with metallic blue tints, and the primaries are a sandy rust color. The fairly large beak is light grey and the iris of the eye is brown. There are two naked patches of white skin above and below each eye, and a crest of feathers with barbs only at the tip adorn the crown. The male boasts a huge train of 300 to 350 long, barbed feathers, ending with a patterned eyespot or ocelli. This train can sometimes measure up to six feet, but it is usually about five feet, with the length of the bird's body excluding the train being three to three and one-half feet. The peahen, or female, is so drab compared to her mate, that one could mistake her for a separate species! Her overall plumage color is greyish-brown, with the breast being buff and the neck a dull green. The hen's face has one stripe over the eyes, but the entire throat is a bare, white patch of skin. She has a short tail, and lacks the gorgeous train. Both sexes have grey, spurred legs.