Scientific Name of Peacock

Also called the Blue peafowl, Common peafowl and Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus is native to the Indian subcontinent. The peafowl falls under the family Phasianidae, which also includes turkeys, chickens, partridges and pheasants. Peafowls are relatively large birds, often weighing between 4-7kgs (males). It is well-known for its bright and colourful feathers as well as its long, characteristic train which bears colourful eyespots. The “tail” of the peacock is known as the train. It is rather long and made up of tail-coverts; the train can grow between 77 to 89 inches in length. Despite its long train and large size, it is capable of flight. Do note that not all peafowls have the colourful, iridescent shade of feathers, some sport all-white feathers, which typically arise due to a loss of pigmentation due to a genetic mutation. Interestingly, scientists have discovered that the feathers on the peacock’s tail contain tiny crystal-like structures that split light into the different colours of the spectrum.

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