Types Of Peacocks

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types of peacocks

The three main types of peacocks are the Indian peafowl, the Congo peafowl, and the green peafowl. Peafowl is a collective term that refers to peacocks, peahens, and peachicks. A group of peafowl is called ostentation or pride.

Peafowls are the largest flying birds in existence today (ostriches don’t fly). Some types of peafowl can grow up to 9 feet tall. Most of their height is due to their tail feathers which make up for 60% of their length. Most peafowls weigh between 8 and 13 pounds.

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Congo Peafowl

These types of peacocks do not have an impressive display of colors like other types of peafowl but they do have bright-blue on their upper bodies while their wings have emerald-green coloring. Congo peacocks are the only species of peafowl that is native to the African continent. They inhabit lowland rainforests, slopes between streams, and feed mainly on plant parts, seeds, and fruits.

Congo Peacock.

Green Peafowl

Unlike the related Indian peafowl, the sexes of green peafowl are quite similar in appearance, especially in the wild. They are also known as the Javanese peacock and they have a fan-shaped crest resting on the top of their heads.

Green Peacock.

Indian Peafowl

Of the three types of peacocks, the Indian peacock is the most popular. It is predominantly blue with a fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers. The Indian peafowl is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers that bear colorful eyespots. These stiff and elongated feathers are raised into a fan and quivered during courtship.

Indian Peacock.

White Peafowl

White peafowls are a color variety of the Indian Peacock. They are considered leucistic, a condition that affects the birds’ feathers and turns them pale or white. This is not a form of albinism as they still maintain pigmentation in their eyes. 

White Peacock.

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