Asian peacocks
| Asian peacocks | ||||||||||
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Blue peacock ( P. cristatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Pavo | ||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 | ||||||||||
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Asiatic peacocks ( Pavo ) are a genus of the pheasant-like family . The two recent species of the genus are the blue peacock ( Pavo cristatus ) and the green peacock or green peacock ( Pavo muticus ), each of which is divided into several subspecies .
features
A striking feature in the magnificent dress of the adult roosters is the elongated tail, the train, which consists of around 150 feathers . These decorative feathers are elongated upper tail cover feathers and are comparable to the sickle feathers of the house cock . Each decorative feather has an eye patch at its end . The train is used for display at courtship . Both sexes wear a small crown of feathers on their head.
The shimmering plumage does not contain any color pigments , the color impression is created by interference of light ( interference color ) in microscopic air chambers in the feathers. If you destroy the air chambers, the feathers are dark gray. In Asia, fine fabrics are made from the feathers of the male animals.
Most of the year, peacocks live in loose associations with several roosters, hens, and juveniles. Asian peacocks can live to be over 20 years old.
The roosters set up their trolls during courtship, which usually takes place in the dry season . They “hit a wheel” and turn slowly on their own axis to impress the hens. When a hen is ready to mate, she chooses her favorite from the courting males. The much more inconspicuous colored hen lays around five eggs, incubates them and leads the young. The males are not involved in brood care .
Males and females are not sexually mature until they are three years old, although roosters whose train is still very short cannot attract the hens' attention during courtship when roosters with a fully developed train are courting.
food
Asian peacocks eat seeds , fruits , grasses , flowers , insects and small vertebrates.
Adult Asian peacocks are preyed on by tigers and leopards .
distribution and habitat
Asian peacocks live in the rainforests of East Asia , Southeast Asia, and South Asia . In India , peacocks are highly valued because they drive the poisonous cobras out of their territories and warn of big cats.
literature
- The small animal breeder - poultry newspaper . Edition 1/2004. German farmers publisher.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ peacock fabric on ecosalon.com, accessed on March 28, 2016