| type | Status | Habitat |
 |
 |
 |
|
MAMMALS |
SOME-ENDANGERED |
INDIA |
 In the wild, both species live in open lowland forests, flocking by day and roosting high in trees at night. |
 Peacocks also eat grain, small reptiles and mammals, berries, figs, leaves, seeds, and flower parts |
|
Most people call them peacocks, but that's the correct name for only the males of this type of bird. Females are called peahens, and the whole group are peafowl. There are three types of peafowl in the world: Indian, green, and Congo. Most people are familiar with the Indian peafowl, since that is the kind found in many zoos and parks. Indian peafowl live in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, green peafowl are found in Southeast Asia, and Congo peafowl are from central Africa.
A group of peafowl is called a "party" or a "pride"! The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and is protected in that country. In the Hindu religion, the peafowl is a sacred bird, because the spots on the peacock's tail symbolize the eyes of the gods.
The Indian peacock has some of the brightest feathers, but the peahen is a drab, mottled brown in comparison. The male needs his bright feathers to attract a mate, and the female needs to be able to blend in with the bushes so that predators cannot see her while she is incubating her eggs.