A bird native to India and Sri Lanka whose males spread a long train like a fan.
The male train carries eye-like spots. Females are more subdued in color and lack the long, eyespotted train.
Male Indian Peafowl fan and vibrate ornate trains during courtship. They forage on the ground and use short, powerful flights to reach tree roosts or escape danger.
A 2014 experiment filmed five captive adult males in the UK before and after train removal. Measurements of take-off, including the first two wingbeats, found no statistically significant performance difference.
Females choose mates at display areas, then make ground nests and incubate and rear young. Display, movement and female care are distinct parts of the species’ life.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The Smithsonian conservation account links cultural protection and tolerance of human-used landscapes to the species’ secure wild status.