About the Indian Peafowl
The Indian peafowl — India's national bird — is one of the world's most visually spectacular birds and also one of its most familiar. The male peacock's iridescent blue-green plumage and magnificent train of decorated feathers, erected into a shimmering fan during courtship, is perhaps the most elaborate visual display in the avian world. Found wild across the Indian subcontinent, the peafowl is protected by religious sentiment in many communities — it is the vehicle of the Hindu god Kartikeya.
Despite being India's national bird, the peafowl is often overlooked by wildlife enthusiasts precisely because it is so common. Yet wild peacocks in forests are a genuinely spectacular sight — particularly during the monsoon when males display near waterholes to attract females. Peafowl are omnivores, eating berries, figs, insects, small reptiles, and rodents. They are important seed dispersers and natural pest controllers. Their piercing call is one of the most evocative sounds of the Indian countryside.