Indian Peafowl vs Painted Bush-quail
Pavo cristatus compared with Perdicula erythrorhyncha
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Peafowl | Painted Bush-quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pavo cristatus | Perdicula erythrorhyncha |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 195.0 cm (76.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) | 16.6 cm (6.5 in) |
| Weight | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) | 67.5 g (2.38 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 3-8 | 4-10 |
| 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
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.
Painted Bush-quail
High, piping 'wee-wee-wee' call from Indian hill grassland; slightly melodic for a bush-quail. Alarm is a soft 'pip-pip'. Red bill prominent when flushed. Covey contact notes are gentle clucks.
Geographic Range & Migration
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Painted Bush-quail
Conservation Status
Indian Peafowl
Painted Bush-quail
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Painted Bush-quail
About These Birds
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.
Painted Bush-quail
A tiny Phasianidae quail (~68 g) of moist scrub and secondary growth along the Western Ghats and Himalayan foothills. Males have a bright red bill and richly spotted plumage. Coveys forage in dense scrub for seeds and invertebrates. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent; Least Concern.