Green Peafowl Pavo muticus Scientific name definitions

Male 180–250 cm (tail 40–47·5 cm, train 140–160 cm), 3850–5000 g; ­female 100–110 cm (tail 40–45 cm), 1060–1160 g (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Unmistakable . Female similar to male but shorter-legged, not so brightly coloured , and lacks long train of uppertail-coverts; dark chestnut-brown patch on lores; usually has spurs. Second-year male resembles adult male but has no ocelli in overall shorter train (maximum length might not be attained until fifth year) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). First-year male is like adult female, but has blackish loral stripe, almost clean dull rufous primaries and longer legs (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile like adult female, but has some white feathering, especially on face and foreneck, and is overall much duller; young male acquires brighter rufous, plainer primaries at c. 1 month (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Races vary slightly in coloration: SE race <em>muticus</em> is brightest, more golden green above (less coppery) and has greenest underparts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); NW race spicifer is dullest with bluer neck and breast than <em>imperator</em> (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), and blacker secondaries and wing-coverts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), especially in male.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

• Indian x Green Peafowl (hybrid) Pavo cristatus x muticus

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Uusally encountered close to water, including streams and rivers (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). On Java occurs in open woodland (including teak plantations) (3 van Balen, S., Prawiradilaga, D.M. and Indrawan, M. (1995). The distribution and status of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus in Java. Biological Conservation. 71: 289–297. Close ), savannas, shrubby monsoon forest (4 Indrawan, M. (1995). Behaviour and abundance of Green Peafowl in Baluran National Park, East Java, Indonesia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 22: 14–15. Close ) and at forest edge, but not inside rainforest, from sea-level up to 3000 m; also inhabits montane grassland above 2000 m. Recently discovered to visit coastal mangroves at one site on the island, at least during dry season (4 Indrawan, M. (1995). Behaviour and abundance of Green Peafowl in Baluran National Park, East Java, Indonesia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 22: 14–15. Close ). In Yunnan, SW China, generally recorded in coniferous or deciduous broadleaf forest and evergreen broadleaf mixed forest, or scrub with scattered trees, grassland and farmland, usually at altitudes of 680–1400 m, in areas with mosiac of forest, scrub, grassland and bare ground with < 20% tree cover (5 Xianji, W., Xiaajun, Y., Lan, Y. and Wenying, S. (1997). Current range and status of Green Peafowl in south-east and north-west Yunnan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 13–14. Close , 6 Wu, F., L. Liu, J. Gao, D. Yan, W. Hu, T. Yang, J. Xia, Q. Liu, and X. Yang (2015). Birds of the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan province, China. Forktail 31:47–54. Close ). Found in riverine forest in Thailand, semi-evergreen and mixed deciduous forests , and rocky savannas in Laos (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), while in Vietnam popuulation is concentrated in areas of dry deciduous forest < 2 km from water and > 2 km from human settlements (7 Brickle, N.W. (2002). Habitat use, predicted distribution and conservation of green peafowl (Pavo muticus) in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam. Biological Conservation. 105: 189–197. Close ).

Believed to be fairly sedentary.

Little known. Crops found to contain mainly termites, but also berries, grass seeds, peppers, flower petals, crickets, grasshoppers and small moths. Forages in farmland (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), perhaps frequently in China (5 Xianji, W., Xiaajun, Y., Lan, Y. and Wenying, S. (1997). Current range and status of Green Peafowl in south-east and north-west Yunnan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 13–14. Close ), being considered a pest on rice crops in parts of Cambodia (8 Gray, T.N.E., Pollard, E.H.B., Evans, T.D., Goes, F., Grindley, M., Omaliss, K., Nielsen, P.H., Sambovannak, O., Channa, P. and Sophoan, S. (2014). Birds of Mondulkiri, Cambodia: distribution, status and conservation. Forktail. 30: 66–78. Close ), and is recorded in groups of 3–5 individuals (9 Bezuijen, M.R. (2006). Incidental wetland bird observations from Attapu and Savannakhet provinces, Lao PDR, March-June 21471475. Forktail 22: 49–56. Close ), occasionally more; the species roosts communally (10 Thewlis, R. M., R. J. Timmins, T. D. Evans, and J. W. Duckworth (1998). The conservation status of birds in Laos: a review of key species. Bird Conservation International 8(Supplement):1–159. Close ), except in the case of calling males (4 Indrawan, M. (1995). Behaviour and abundance of Green Peafowl in Baluran National Park, East Java, Indonesia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 22: 14–15. Close ).

Advertising call  of male is a far-carrying, repeated “ki-wao” or “yee-ow”, given also at night from roost site, which is less harsh and piercing than that of analagous vocalization of P. cristatus (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Female gives loud, quickly repeated “AOW-aa” with emphasis on first syllable (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In alarm gives “tak tak ker-r-r-r oo oo, kerr-r-r-roo” (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Mainly calls early morning and evening, and especially in spring (11 Liu, Y., Han, L., Xie. Y., Wen, Y. and Zhang, R. (2009). The status and habitat use of green peafowl Pavo muticus in Shuangbai Konglonghe Nature Reserve, China. Int. Journal Galliform Conserv. 1: 32–35. Close ).

In NE India, spicifer apparently breeds in Jan–May (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but Jul–Sept also recorded; Apr–May in Bangladesh; in Java, muticus nests in Aug–Oct. Apparently polygamous, with males possessing harems of up to five females (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Nests on ground, usually in sites that are well protected but with good visibility. Clutch of 3–6 pale cream, coffee- to buff-coloured (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) eggs, slightly larger than those of P. cristatus (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); incubation 26–28 days, by female only; downy chicks similar to those of P. cristatus but larger and greyer.

ENDANGERED. Mace-Lande: muticus endangered; imperator endangered; spicifer insufficient information. CITES II. Populations probably highly fragmented throughout range, and species may be more seriously threatened than available information indicates; overall population currently considered to be 10,000–20,000 mature individuals External link . Nominate muticus presumed extinct in Peninsular Malaysia (since mid 1960s) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and probably also in Thailand; the possibility of reintroducing the species in the first-named country has been discussed (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ). Nominate subspecies now known only on Java, where declines already noted during first quarter of 20th century (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ) and has recently been found at 17 sites; a recent survey estimated population to number no more than 1000 birds, but subpopulation in Baluran National Park since reckoned to be double previous estimate of 200 birds (4 Indrawan, M. (1995). Behaviour and abundance of Green Peafowl in Baluran National Park, East Java, Indonesia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 22: 14–15. Close ); highly fragmented, and secure in only 3–4 areas; protected by Indonesian law, but some illegal trapping may continue; train feathers are used in traditional Javanese dances; this race present in Ujung Kulon National Park (761 km²), Baluran National Park (250 km²), Meru Betiri National Park (500 km²), Alas Purwo National Park (620 km²), Leuweung Sancang Nature Reserve (21 km²), Yang Nature Reserve (15 km²), Ijen Nature Reserve (25 km²) and proposed Ciogong Nature Reserve (141 km²) (3 van Balen, S., Prawiradilaga, D.M. and Indrawan, M. (1995). The distribution and status of Green Peafowl Pavo muticus in Java. Biological Conservation. 71: 289–297. Close ). In Thailand, potentially valid race imperator believed to be restricted to Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in W, while unconfirmed at three further sites; Thai population estimated to number c. 300 individuals. Total population of this race in thousands. In China, formerly reported from Zhejang, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangxi and Guandong provinces, but has declined significantly, being lost from all of these since the early 20th century; now known almost exclusively from Yunnan province, where patchily distributed but recorded (in small numbers) (5 Xianji, W., Xiaajun, Y., Lan, Y. and Wenying, S. (1997). Current range and status of Green Peafowl in south-east and north-west Yunnan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 13–14. Close ) in four protected areas (including Ailao Shan and Konglonghe Nature Reserves) (13 Wang, Z., C. Carpenter, and S. S. Young (2000). Bird distribution and conservation in the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan, China. Biological Conservation 92(1):45–57. Close , 11 Liu, Y., Han, L., Xie. Y., Wen, Y. and Zhang, R. (2009). The status and habitat use of green peafowl Pavo muticus in Shuangbai Konglonghe Nature Reserve, China. Int. Journal Galliform Conserv. 1: 32–35. Close ) and total of 31 localities (14 Han, L., Liu, Y. and Han, B. (2009). The status and distribution of green peafowl Pavo muticus in Yunnan Province, China. Int. Journal Galliform Conserv. 1: 29–31. Close ), with apparently questionable reports from two counties in Tibet (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ), and the national population is postulated to be just 800–1100 birds (5 Xianji, W., Xiaajun, Y., Lan, Y. and Wenying, S. (1997). Current range and status of Green Peafowl in south-east and north-west Yunnan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 13–14. Close ) (150–250 often in Shuangbai county, with another major stronghold in Konglonghe Municippal Nature Reserve) distributed over 30,000 km² (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close , 6 Wu, F., L. Liu, J. Gao, D. Yan, W. Hu, T. Yang, J. Xia, Q. Liu, and X. Yang (2015). Birds of the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan province, China. Forktail 31:47–54. Close ). A total of nine contemporary sites are listed for Vietnam; occurs in several protected areas, including Vu Quang NatureReserve (15 Eames, J. C., R. Eve, and A. W. Tordoff (2001). The importance of Vu Quang Nature Reserve, Vietnam, for bird conservation, in the context of the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area. Bird Conservation International 11(4):247–285. Close ), in addition to Thailand’s fully protected Hua Kha Khaeng (2575 km²). In Vietnam, imperator formerly widespread virtually throughout, being locally numerous even as recently as the late 1970s/early 1980s, but numbers much reduced by habitat loss (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ), and declines evident in some areas after late 1950s (16 Robson, C. R., J. C. Eames, Nguyen Cu, and Truong Van La (1993). Birds recorded during the BirdLife/Forest Birds Working Group expedition in Vietnam. Forktail 9:89–119. Close ), though still found in 5–7 provinces (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ) and in Nam Bai Cat Tien National Park (350 km²), where up to 17 calling males were heard in 1991 (17 Robson, C. R., J. C. Eames, Nguyen Cu, and Truong Van La (1993). Further recent records of birds from Vietnam. Forktail 8:25–52. Close ), just outside Bach Ma National Park (190 km²), and within Yok Don Reserve; the Yok Don population decreased sharply during 1998–2013, while densities at Cat Tien, up to 4·7 calling birds/km², were higher in 2012 than in 1991 (18 Sukumal, N., McGowan, P.J.K. and Savini, T. (2015). Change in status of green peafowl Pavo muticus (Family Phasianidae) in southcentral Vietnam: a comparison over 15 years. Global Ecology and Conservation. 3: 11–19. Close ). In Laos, occurs in Xe Pian proposed protected area and several other proposed or actual conservation units (19 Evans, T.D. and Timmins, R.J. (1995). The status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus in Laos. Forktail. 11: 11–32. Close ); the country is considered to still harbour an important population (10 Thewlis, R. M., R. J. Timmins, T. D. Evans, and J. W. Duckworth (1998). The conservation status of birds in Laos: a review of key species. Bird Conservation International 8(Supplement):1–159. Close ), although numbers have obviously declined dramatically since the early 20th century, as elsewhere (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ). Current status in Cambodia was largely unknown (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ) (the country had been speculated to harbour one of the largest extant subpopulations) (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ), until recently, when surveys of Mondulkiri province revealed the species’ regular presence in several protected forests, although numbers remain to be quantified (8 Gray, T.N.E., Pollard, E.H.B., Evans, T.D., Goes, F., Grindley, M., Omaliss, K., Nielsen, P.H., Sambovannak, O., Channa, P. and Sophoan, S. (2014). Birds of Mondulkiri, Cambodia: distribution, status and conservation. Forktail. 30: 66–78. Close ). Threatened by overexploitation for food, feathers, eggs (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ) and bird trade, poison put down for rodents (in China) (5 Xianji, W., Xiaajun, Y., Lan, Y. and Wenying, S. (1997). Current range and status of Green Peafowl in south-east and north-west Yunnan, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 26: 13–14. Close ), habitat loss and degradation; e.g. eggs, chicks and adults are all widely harvested in Laos (9 Bezuijen, M.R. (2006). Incidental wetland bird observations from Attapu and Savannakhet provinces, Lao PDR, March-June 21471475. Forktail 22: 49–56. Close ) and Cambodia, where the species’ legs are used for medicinal purposes (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ). Informed opinion suggests that spicifer is possibly extinct in both Bangladesh, where formerly a rare breeding resident in SE hill tract forest, and in India, where it almost certainly no longer survives in Mizoram (despite a record in Dec 2007) (20 Choudhury, A. (2016). Mizoram, north-east India: where to go and what you might see. BirdingASIA. 26: 99–106. Close ), but there are reports from Manipur (21 Choudhury, A. (2009). Significant recent ornithological records from Manipur, north-east India, with an annotated checklist. Forktail. 25: 71–89. Close ), and there is no recent information from Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura (12 McGowan, P.J.K., Duckworth, J.W., Xianji, W., van Balen, B., Xiaojun, Y., Khan, M.K.M., Yatim, S.H., Thanga, L., Setiawan, I. and Kaul, R. (1998). A review of the status of the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus and recommendations for future action. Bird Conservation International. 8(4): 331–348. Close ); virtually no recent information from Myanmar, although there are still occasional records from the border region with India (21 Choudhury, A. (2009). Significant recent ornithological records from Manipur, north-east India, with an annotated checklist. Forktail. 25: 71–89. Close ); at best, this race is probably very rare.