Peafowl

Peafowl are large pheasants in the genus Pavo and the related genus Afropavo. Males are known for elaborate courtship displays featuring colorful plumage and long ornamental trains.

Indian peafowl: A peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent, with iridescent blue males and green trains. This familiar species shows the classic peafowl display.
Peacock train: The elongated upper-tail covert feathers of a male peafowl, marked with iridescent eyespots. This conspicuous structure is raised and shaken during courtship.
Pavo: A genus of Asian pheasants containing the Indian and green peafowl. Two of the three living peafowl species belong to this genus.
Peafowl in culture: The roles peafowl and their imagery have played in art, religion, and social symbolism. Their striking appearance has made peafowl prominent cultural symbols.
Green peafowl: An endangered peafowl species of Southeast Asia, whose males and females both have elaborate plumage. Its shared ornamentation challenges the familiar image of only males being showy.
Courtship display: A patterned set of behaviors used by an animal to attract or secure a mate. Male peafowl combine train fanning, vibration, and calls during courtship.
Afropavo: A genus of African pheasants represented by the Congo peafowl. Its single species gives peafowl a distinct lineage in central Africa.
Peafowl in Hinduism: The associations of peafowl with deities and religious imagery in Hindu traditions. The Indian peafowl has particular cultural significance across its native range.
Congo peafowl: A forest-dwelling peafowl species native to the Congo Basin, with less elaborate plumage than Pavo species. It is the genus Afropavo’s sole species and a distinct peafowl form.
Sexual selection: Evolutionary change driven by differences in mating success among individuals. Mate choice helps account for the evolution of elaborate male ornaments.

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