Indian Peafowl

There is one peafowl who lives at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo. Keep reading to learn about his history and species!

A photo of Apu looking curiously towards the camera

Peafowl Fun Facts

  • The peafowl is the national bird of India.

  •  The male peafowl is a peacock, the female is a peahen, and the youth are peachicks, although they are all often referred to as peacocks.

  •  Peafowl have been reported in ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Greek history.

  •  Female peafowl (peahens) have a duller brown plumage than the male peacocks.

  •  Peafowl usually forage on the ground and move in small groups.

  •  They usually try to escape by running on foot through the undergrowth, and avoid flying, except when flying up into tall trees to roost.

  •  In many parts of northern India, peafowl are protected by religious sentiment, and are often seen foraging around villages for scraps.

  •  There are several color mutations for peafowl, which are extremely rare in the wild, but are common in captivity due to selective breeding.

  •  The clutch size is 4 to 8 eggs.

Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Peafowl

Apu's side profile    

Apu

Apu was born in 2003. He was found as a stray and was caught by Animal Services in Palo Alto. Then he was brought to us here at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo! 

 

 

Meet Apu the Peacock

You can see Apu's vibrant tail and cheeky personality for yourself when you visit the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo.

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