Chinese Bamboo-partridge vs Indian Peafowl
Bambusicola thoracicus compared with Pavo cristatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chinese Bamboo-partridge | Indian Peafowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bambusicola thoracicus | Pavo cristatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 195.0 cm (76.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.7 cm (10.1 in) | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) |
| Weight | 270.25 g (9.53 oz) | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, berries, invertebrates, and plant shoots in bamboo thickets and scrub of China … | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | 3-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Indian Peafowl
Open forests, farmland, and areas near water in the Indian subcontinent. Highly adaptable and common near human settlements.
Song & Call Comparison
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Loud, rapid 'jiji-ji-jiji' calls; raucous and insistent from Chinese bamboo thickets. Alarm is explosive cackling. Popular cage bird for persistent calls. Contact notes softer between birds.
Indian Peafowl
Loud, harsh, repetitive 'may-AWE' screaming call, audible over great distances. Display calls are a mewing 'aaaow'. Peacocks call persistently at dawn and before rain.
Geographic Range & Migration
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Resident of bamboo, scrub, and forest edge in southeastern China, Taiwan, and Indochina; introduced to Japan and Hawaii.
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Conservation Status
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Indian Peafowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Brown upperparts with chestnut streaks; grey face and supercilium; chestnut-spotted buff flanks; white belly; grey breast; rufous-chestnut tail. Female similar but slightly smaller; lacks tarsal spur of male.
Indian Peafowl
Males (peacocks) have iridescent blue-green plumage and an enormous train of elongated upper tail coverts with eye-spots. Females (peahens) are brown and cryptically patterned.
Short, stout, greyish-horn bill
About These Birds
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
A small, noisy Phasianidae partridge (~270 g) widespread in bamboo thickets, scrub, and woodland edges of eastern and central China. Brown and grey plumage provides camouflage in dense vegetation. Famous for its repeated 'kicking-your-bottom' call. Omnivorous; feeds on seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern.
Indian Peafowl
The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and one of the most spectacular birds in the world. The peacock's enormous train, which can span over two meters, is used in elaborate courtship displays where the feathers are fanned and vibrated. Despite their size, peafowl can fly short distances and roost in tall trees.