Peacock

This coming week it is National Bird Week here in Australia where it runs from 19 - 25 October, and is an annual BirdLife Australia event. Accordingly I felt it would be a good idea to get in early and do a bird blip today. Luckily I knew where this peacock lived, along with the geese, sheep and a goat!

Correctly speaking this is a Peafowl being a species of flying bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail covered feathers, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring are peachicks.

Introduced to Australia many years ago, there are quite a few dotted around different places we regularly visit in South Australia. At night, they fly up into trees for safety from foxes. Normally speaking you never ever see then flying.

Bigger crest.

The peacock is designated as the national bird of India and is a national symbol in the history of Burma.

This local bird seems to be moulting and the male (peacock) has iridescent blue-green coloured plumage that is most attractive. They are ground feeders, and eat most plant parts, flower petals, seed heads, insects and just about anything they find on the ground.

The Peacock is a large bird and at times also quite a noisy bird. The most common calls are a loud "pia-ow" or "may-awe". The calling increases when they are alarmed or feel under threat. Likewise the intensity.