Common Peafowl

Scientific Name

Pavo cristatus 


The male peafowl is instantly recognisable due to its strikingly beautiful appearance. The bird’s head, neck and breast are a bright blue colour and it has blue tipped feathers on the top of its head. Probably the most famous feature of the peacock is its fabulous tail which is made up of a long ‘train’ of colourful feathers. The tail makes up nearly two thirds of the bird’s total body length.

The males use their beauty to attract potential mates. The female bird (peahen) is more understated in its appearance and is mostly brown in colour.

At the zoo, we also have white peafowl (a variety of the blue peafowl).

Peafowl are incredibly agile and can usually outrun predators. They spend most of their time on the ground but do have the ability to fly short distances.


Peafowl are omnivores. They mostly eat seeds, fruit and insects.

Size Fact

Full-grown peacocks can reach up to 2.3 meters in length.

Food Fact

Peafowl have incredibly broad diets.

Fun Fact

A group of peacocks is called a ‘muster’ or an ‘ostentation’.

IUCN Red list

Peafowl are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN red list.

Where do I live?

Peafowl are originally from Asia. The peacock is India’s national bird.

Back to the top