Birds
Introduction
All birds are in the class Aves. Many birds may make a nest to protect their young. Some may have different calls or songs they sing to one another. While all birds are very different and unique from each other in some way, there are a few defining characteristics all birds have in common. All birds have lightweight bones so they can fly. Birds have skin covered in feathers and scales. Some water birds have special oil glands that make the water slide off their feathers. All birds have a four chambered heart and fluid filled eggs that have hard outer shells. Birds also have a special digestive organ called a gizzard that grinds the food into smaller pieces before going into the stomach.
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
The Indian peafowl (also known as Blue peafowl or Common peafowl) are in a group called pheasants. Males are called peacocks while females are called peahens. Males have the bright and dazzling coloration and patterns, and the females are more drab colored with brown backs and white bellies and less tail feathers. The tail feathers of the peacock can be as long as 5 feet! The peafowl are also among the largest birds that are able to fly, but they run on the ground more than they actually fly. Peafowl can live to around 20 years in the wild and can weigh 8.75-13 pounds. They can also grow to 8-9.1 feet long. Like us, they are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants. These birds are of least concern to be threatened or endangered.
Reproduction
The peacock use their bright feathers to attract females in a courtship. Males usually pair with two or more females. Courtship displays happen in leks, which are breeding territories in close range of others. The females wander through several leks before choosing a male. During courtship, the male spreads his feathers out and doing different body movements. After the mating process is over, the male has nothing to do with the chicks or the female.
Females lay their eggs in in a shallow nest dug into the ground that is concealed by brush and scrub vegetation. The peahen lays 3-6 white eggs at a time. The female will then incubate the eggs herself for 28-30 days until the chicks hatch. After two hours of hatching, the chicks are able to get up and leave the nest and follow their mother. They stay with her for about 9 months until they are able to live by themselves.
Habitat/Location
Indian peafowl are native to India and Sri Lanka. It can be found from eastern Pakistan through India, south from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Indian peafowl has been introduced to other parts of the world because of its appearance for exhibits, parks, zoos, and even as household pets. These birds live in open forests, stream side forests, orchards, and in other cultivated areas. Sometimes, if food is scarce in an area, they will move into a village and be fed or scavenge for food there.
Eating Habits
Indian peafowl are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. They eat things like seeds, grains, small reptiles, small mammals, small insects, wild figs, flower buds, fruits, worms, berries, drupes, and some cultivated crops. They forage for food during the early morning and shortly after sunset. To catch prey, peafowl use their superb sense of hearing and and eyesight. As soon as they spot their prey, they quickly grab it with their beak and eat it. They are often seen snatching up small insects and other animals from the ground. Peafowl walk and run on the ground rather than fly. They will only fly up into the trees to sleep or protect themselves from predators and to get a wide view of their prey. When they spot prey from a height, such as in a tree, they will swoop down and snatch it in its beak.
All birds are in the class Aves. Many birds may make a nest to protect their young. Some may have different calls or songs they sing to one another. While all birds are very different and unique from each other in some way, there are a few defining characteristics all birds have in common. All birds have lightweight bones so they can fly. Birds have skin covered in feathers and scales. Some water birds have special oil glands that make the water slide off their feathers. All birds have a four chambered heart and fluid filled eggs that have hard outer shells. Birds also have a special digestive organ called a gizzard that grinds the food into smaller pieces before going into the stomach.
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
The Indian peafowl (also known as Blue peafowl or Common peafowl) are in a group called pheasants. Males are called peacocks while females are called peahens. Males have the bright and dazzling coloration and patterns, and the females are more drab colored with brown backs and white bellies and less tail feathers. The tail feathers of the peacock can be as long as 5 feet! The peafowl are also among the largest birds that are able to fly, but they run on the ground more than they actually fly. Peafowl can live to around 20 years in the wild and can weigh 8.75-13 pounds. They can also grow to 8-9.1 feet long. Like us, they are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants. These birds are of least concern to be threatened or endangered.
Reproduction
The peacock use their bright feathers to attract females in a courtship. Males usually pair with two or more females. Courtship displays happen in leks, which are breeding territories in close range of others. The females wander through several leks before choosing a male. During courtship, the male spreads his feathers out and doing different body movements. After the mating process is over, the male has nothing to do with the chicks or the female.
Females lay their eggs in in a shallow nest dug into the ground that is concealed by brush and scrub vegetation. The peahen lays 3-6 white eggs at a time. The female will then incubate the eggs herself for 28-30 days until the chicks hatch. After two hours of hatching, the chicks are able to get up and leave the nest and follow their mother. They stay with her for about 9 months until they are able to live by themselves.
Habitat/Location
Indian peafowl are native to India and Sri Lanka. It can be found from eastern Pakistan through India, south from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Indian peafowl has been introduced to other parts of the world because of its appearance for exhibits, parks, zoos, and even as household pets. These birds live in open forests, stream side forests, orchards, and in other cultivated areas. Sometimes, if food is scarce in an area, they will move into a village and be fed or scavenge for food there.
Eating Habits
Indian peafowl are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. They eat things like seeds, grains, small reptiles, small mammals, small insects, wild figs, flower buds, fruits, worms, berries, drupes, and some cultivated crops. They forage for food during the early morning and shortly after sunset. To catch prey, peafowl use their superb sense of hearing and and eyesight. As soon as they spot their prey, they quickly grab it with their beak and eat it. They are often seen snatching up small insects and other animals from the ground. Peafowl walk and run on the ground rather than fly. They will only fly up into the trees to sleep or protect themselves from predators and to get a wide view of their prey. When they spot prey from a height, such as in a tree, they will swoop down and snatch it in its beak.
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