The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) belongs to the family Phasianidae. The green peafowl is distributed in north-eastern India, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and the islands of Java. There are three recognized subspecies of these peafowl. The subspecies P. m. spicifer occurs in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The subspecies P. m. imperator occurs in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The subspecies P. m. muticus occurs in Java.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these pheasant species and had listed them as 'Endangered'.
The green peafowl is a large bird and the male is larger than the female. The male birds measure 180 to 250 cm in length including the tail of 45 cm length. The long tail train measures 150 cm. The females measure 100 cm in length including the tail of 40 cm. The cocks weigh 3850 to 5000 grams and the hens weigh 1000 to 1160 grams. The average wingspan is 120 cm and these birds are capable of sustained flight. Including the tail coverts they are longer than the Indian peafowl.
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| cuatrok77 | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 7/25/18 |
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| Indian birds - Green peafowl - Pavo muticus |
These peafowl inhabit wide range of habitats including open woodlands, grasslands, savannas, scrub, farmlands and also tropical, subtropical, evergreen and deciduous forests. They prefer nearness to water sources like streams and rivers. They feed on seeds, berries, flowers, buds, bulbs, insects and small reptiles. The green peafowl nests on the ground and lays three to six eggs. They are observed to breed during January to May in India. Due to habitat loss, hunting and poaching the numbers are fast dwindling and these peafowl are listed as endangered.
| Biological classification of Pavo muticus | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasianinae |
| Genus: | Pavo |
| Species: | Pavo muticus |
| Binomial name: | P. muticus |
| Distribution: | China, India, Burma and Thailand; |
| Feeding habits: | seeds, insects, roots, leaves, small reptiles, shoots; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Endangered |
Image source: wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Peafowl_Pavo_muticus_Manipur_by_Raju_Kasambe..jpg
Author: Dr. Raju Kasambe | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Green peafowl - Pavo muticus.