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The Peafowl

 
The  peafowl is one of the oldest domestic animal. You found them  already thousands of years ago outside of India. At that  time the animals were not only hold because of their magnificent plumage. No the peafowl was also on the menu of the authorities.

Even the peacocks were in different cultures viewed as divine and reveres. Also unusual was the appearance of peacocks in various religions as symbols for things like resurrection, immortality or as a gatekeeper to paradise.

All of these times are thankfully over. Today, peacocks in our latitudes only to embellish. You meet them in parks, the zoo and in the hands of private enthusiasts. But it's usually to the Blue Peacock, or mutations of this kind
 
   
Species: The below indicated species of peafowls are free living in wild habitat.
   
 

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 Indian Peacock, Pavo cristatus
    The Indian peacock is one of the oldest domestic animals. In wild habitat he is leaving in Indian and Sri Lanka. He is loyal to his current location and hardy for our middle European winters. That's the reason why this is the most hold peafowl species.
   
     
    Derived from the Indian Peacock are nowadays many mutations are breeded in different human stocks. These mutations are very popular in the USA, there are up to 90 different mutations are breeded.

Here you will find some examples for breeded mutations:
     
 
 

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 Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus

 This Peafowl species is much less frequent hold compared to the Indian peacock and the derived mutations  The reason for that is probably that the species are not loyal to the current location and they are also not hardy for the middle European winters. This means the Green Peafowl you have to keep in closed aviaries and you have to provide them a heated cot for the winter.

The Green Peafowls are divided in three sub-species.
   

Javanese green peafowl, Pavo muticus muticus

The Javanese green peafowl has the most intensive colours of the three sub-species. Typical is, the intensive blue colour on the elytrons and the deep green throat plumage.
This sub-species is living on the peninsula of Malaysia and in the south part starting form the straits of Kra, island Java
   

Indo-Chinese green peafowl, Pavo muticus imperator

The Indo-Chinese Green peafowl has compared to the sub-species muticus less blue coloured elytrons and many feathers are only blue surrounded. The throat plumage is more matt and looks more brown/bronze.
 

As the name is saying, this sub-species is living in Indo-Chinese area.
   

Burmese green peafowl, Pavo muticus spicifer

The Burmese green peafowl has compared to the other two sub-species less green colour in his plumage.
The back escutcheon is more blue-green and the elytrons are having less blue then the imperator species.
This sub-species is living in the north west of Burma. The  Arrakan-Mountains are separating the habitat from the sub-species imperator.
     
 
 

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 Congo Peafowl, Afropavo congensis

The Congo peafowl is the only peafowl species which is living outside of Asia.

This peafowl species has extremely high requirements regarding feeding and environmental conditions. To keep this requirements it needs normally a house with tropical conditions. That's the reason why this peafowl species is very seldom to find in private stocks.

This peafowl species has his wild habitat only in the tropical rainforest around the Congo (Zaire).
   
   
Crossings: Privat breeder are also crossing the Indian Peacock and his mutations with als species of green peafowls. The results of these crossings are called Spalding-Peafowls.