The National bird of India is peacock. The Government of India selected peacock (Pavo cristatus) as the national bird on 31, January, 1963 among several contenders such as the great Indian bustard, the sarus crane, the brahminy kite and the swan.
The great bustard was the close contender for the national symbol. Since the Tokyo conference of the International Council for Bird Preservation held in May 1960, the subject of choosing an avian symbol was under active consideration.
Indian Board for Wildlife was given the task of selecting the national bird, after giving due consideration to the views of the states. The selection was done after consultation with the state governments and the public opinions expressed in the press.
They are very graceful with beautiful shimmering colors. Further they are found throughout the country. They are protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is noteworthy to mention that Burma had green peacock as its national bird.
The blue peacock (male) has a long slender glistening neck, glossy blue breast and blue and green-bronze feathers. The male has a fan-shaped crest of feathers and a white patch under the eye. The trailing tail is long with about 200 elongated feathers. The males dance by fanning out the tail and shaking feathers.
The peahen (female) is slightly smaller than the male, brownish in color and lack the long trailing tail. This national symbol is seen in the deciduous forest, feeding on the forest floor. It feed on seeds, grains, berries, insects, snakes, lizards and small mammals. It spends the night perched on tree branches, protecting itself from the predators.
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| Blue peacock - Pavo cristatus - भारतीय मोर |
| Biological classification of national bird | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Pavo |
| Species: | P. cristatus |
| Binomial name: | Pavo cristatus |
| Distribution: | Indian subcontinent; Sri Lanka; |
| Feeding habits: | drupes, wild figs, berries, grains, snakes, lizards and small mammals; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paonroue.JPG
Author: Jebulon | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic:Indian peacock - National bird of India.
