Indian Peafowl vs Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Pavo cristatus compared with Pternistis hartlaubi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Peafowl | Hartlaub's Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pavo cristatus | Pternistis hartlaubi |
| 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) | 28.9 cm (11.4 in) |
| Weight | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) | 246.25 g (8.69 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … | Forages for seeds, fruits, invertebrates, and small animals in rocky Angolan hillside scrub. |
| Clutch Size | 3-8 | 4-8 |
| 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
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.
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Loud, harsh 'krak-krak-KRAAK' calls from NW African rocky bush; slightly nasal quality. Alarm is rapid explosive cackling when flushed. Pairs call in duet at dawn on rocky escarpments.
Geographic Range & Migration
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Resident of rocky hillsides with scrub and open woodland in southwestern Angola; restricted range.
Conservation Status
Indian Peafowl
Hartlaub's 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
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Dark brown above with pale buff shaft streaks; white below with dense dark brown streaking; orange-red facial skin; yellow legs; no bare neck skin. Sexes similar; smaller than most spurfowl; …
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.
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
A small Phasianidae spurfowl (~246 g) of rocky hillside scrub and boulder-strewn savanna in Angola and Namibia. Plumage is intricately streaked and spotted brown-and-white. Pairs and family groups forage on the ground for seeds, roots, and invertebrates. Locally common in arid rocky terrain; Least Concern.