Indian Peacock: Plumage, Display & South Asian Habitat

Pavo cristatus, the Indian Peafowl, is native to South Asia and is famous for one of the most elaborate displays in the bird world. The word peacock technically refers to the adult male, while the female is called a peahen and the species as a whole is peafowl.

The “tail” is not quite a tail

The spectacular fan displayed by a male peacock is called the train. Much of it is formed by greatly elongated upper tail coverts rather than the true tail feathers themselves. These ornate feathers carry the familiar eye-like spots, or ocelli, that become visible when the train is raised.

Why peacocks display

During courtship, the male lifts and spreads the train into a broad fan, turns toward nearby females and can vibrate the feathers so that the display shimmers. The combination of size, symmetry, colour and movement forms a visual signal used in mate choice.

Life on the ground and in the trees

Indian Peafowl spend much of the day walking and feeding on the ground, but they can fly strongly for short distances. At night they often roost high in trees, gaining protection and a clear view of their surroundings.

A flexible diet

Peafowl are omnivorous. They feed on seeds, shoots, fruit and other plant material as well as insects and small animals. This flexible diet helps them live in dry forest, scrub, farmland edges and other landscapes where patches of cover remain available.

From the field guide to Aves & Atlas

The crest, long train and eye-spotted plumage make the Indian Peacock one of the most detailed subjects in ornithological illustration. Explore the Indian Peacock T-Shirt, or browse the Birds collection.