Peacock (bird) - biology.

Peacock (bird) - biology. Peacock (bird) or Peafowl, common name for three members of the pheasant family. Although these birds are more commonly called peacocks, that name is properly applied only to males; females are called peahens. Two species are Asian: the common or Indian peafowl, and the green peafowl. The third species, the Congo peafowl, is known only from the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire). The Asian peacocks are noted for their resplendent trains of long upper tail coverts, which conceal their relatively short tails, and are raised and spread in strutting displays. The feathers are generally iridescent green and gold and are ornamented with eyelike markings of a rich color, known as peacock blue. The same blue also appears on the head, neck, breast, and crest of the common peacock; in the green peacock the head, neck, and underparts are green. The peahens have no trains and are less colorful than the males. Peafowl build their nests on the ground or in the low branches of trees. The birds subsist on an omnivorous diet of worms, insects, small snakes, and seeds. The common peafowl has been domesticated in many parts of the world, and there are feral populations in the Hawaiian Islands. A white variety has been produced by selective breeding. The Congo peafowl is the only true pheasant found in Africa. It was first discovered as a feather in the hat of a local African in 1913, but the first whole birds, two old taxidermic mounts that had been misidentified as immature common peafowl, were found in 1936 in Belgium. It is known only from parts of central and eastern DRC, where it is protected by law. It is smaller and less ornate than the Asian species. Scientific classification: Peacocks belong to the family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes. The common, or Indian, peafowl is classified as Pavo cristatus; the green peafowl as Pavo muticus; and the Congo peafowl as Afropavo congensis. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.