The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus
(Linnaeus), the national bird of India, is a colorful, swan-sized
bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under
the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is
more colorful than the female, with a glistening blue
breast and neck and a spectacular
bronze-green train of around 200 elongated feathers.
The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male, and
lacks the train. The elaborate courtship dance of the male,
fanning out the tail and preening its feathers, is a gorgeous
sight.
The peacock is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from
the south and east of the Indus river, Jammu and Kashmir, east
Assam, south Mizoram and the whole of the Indian peninsula.
The Peacock enjoys protection from the people, as it is never
molested for religious and sentimental reasons. It is fully
protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
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