Indian Peafowl vs Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
Pavo cristatus compared with Pternistis castaneicollis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Peafowl | Chestnut-naped Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pavo cristatus | Pternistis castaneicollis |
| 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) | 39.1 cm (15.4 in) |
| Weight | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) | 828.75 g (29.23 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant material in Ethiopian and Eritrean highland forest and scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 3-8 | 5-6 |
| 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.
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
Loud, harsh 'KRAAK-krak-krak' calls from Ethiopian highland forest; one of larger spurfowl with deep resonant calls. Alarm is explosive cackle. Pairs call in duet at dawn from forest edge and …
Geographic Range & Migration
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
Resident of highland scrub, montane grassland, and moorland in Ethiopia and Eritrea, at 1,800–3,700 m.
Conservation Status
Indian Peafowl
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
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
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
Brown above with pale buff streaks; white below with dark streaking; distinctive chestnut-rufous nape and hindneck contrasting with brown mantle; red facial skin; red legs. Sexes similar; Ethiopian highlands.
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.
Chestnut-naped Spurfowl
A large Phasianidae spurfowl (~829 g) of highland scrub, forest edges, and cultivated land in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and northern Somalia. Chestnut nape and neck contrast with streaked grey-brown body. Territorial pairs or small groups forage on seeds, roots, and invertebrates. Least Concern in its highland range.