Indian Peafowl vs Malay Peacock-Pheasant
Pavo cristatus compared with Polyplectron malacense
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Peafowl | Malay Peacock-Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pavo cristatus | Polyplectron malacense |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 195.0 cm (76.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) | 38.5 cm (15.2 in) |
| Weight | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) | 564.0 g (19.89 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … | Omnivorous; eats seeds, fallen fruits, invertebrates, and small animals on Malay Peninsula forest floor. |
| Clutch Size | 3-8 | 1 |
| 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.
Malay Peacock-Pheasant
Repeated thin 'kwi-kwi-kwi' whistle, slightly ascending; given during display with tail fanning. Peninsular Malaysia forest floor. Alarm is explosive 'kak'. Rarely vocal outside breeding display.
Geographic Range & Migration
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Malay Peacock-Pheasant
Resident of lowland and hill forest in peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and southern Thailand below 1,000 m.
Conservation Status
Indian Peafowl
Malay Peacock-Pheasant
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
Malay Peacock-Pheasant
Male brown with large iridescent green and violet ocelli on wings and tail; yellow orbital skin; buff speckled face. Female brown with smaller ocelli and yellow orbital skin; both with …
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.
Malay Peacock-Pheasant
A medium-small Phasianidae pheasant (~564 g) of lowland dipterocarp forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Males sport blue-green ocelli on wings and tail, displayed fan-wise in courtship. Forages on fallen fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Endangered due to extensive lowland forest loss across Sundaland.