Indian Peafowl vs Mrs Hume's Pheasant
Pavo cristatus compared with Syrmaticus humiae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Peafowl | Mrs Hume's Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pavo cristatus | Syrmaticus humiae |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 195.0 cm (76.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) | 42.5 cm (16.7 in) |
| Weight | 5000.0 g (176.37 oz) | 888.75 g (31.35 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — seeds, berries, insects, small vertebrates, and cultivated crops. Forages on the ground in … | Omnivorous; feeds on seeds, berries, plant material, and invertebrates; scratches forest floor in SE Asian … |
| Clutch Size | 3-8 | 3-12 |
| 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.
Mrs Hume's Pheasant
Quiet 'koh-koh' crowing call; less vocal than other Syrmaticus pheasants. Myanmar and Yunnan mountain species; alarm is a sharp cackle. Wing-drumming display prominent at dawn during breeding.
Geographic Range & Migration
Indian Peafowl
Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Feral populations worldwide.
Mrs Hume's Pheasant
Resident of montane forest and scrub in Myanmar, Yunnan (China), and northwestern Thailand, mainly between 1,000 and 2,500 m.
Conservation Status
Indian Peafowl
Mrs Hume's 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
Mrs Hume's Pheasant
Male dark metallic blue with white wing patches; chestnut mantle; long silvery-grey tail boldly barred dark; blue facial skin and wattle. Female brown with buff streaks, white-tipped tail feathers, blue …
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.
Mrs Hume's Pheasant
A slender Phasianidae pheasant (~889 g) of oak and pine forests in northeastern India, Myanmar, and southwestern China. Males feature blue-grey plumage with a long boldly barred tail. Diet includes seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Vulnerable owing to widespread deforestation and illegal trapping.