Peacocks are one of the most common birds found in zoos; at least 75% of zoos have peacocks.
It’s no doubt that these beautiful bird species are rare to spot in the wild.
Most of these birds are used as meat, while some are used for fabric design; and this has caused some species of this bird to go extinct.
If you live in California and are curious about which peacock species can be found near you, this article is for you.
However, since these birds are not native to the US, you may only come across them in zoos or wildlife parks. So let’s dive right in, here are 5 peacock species you can find in California.
5 Peacock Species in California
1. Wild Palawan Peacock Pheasants
This peacock is originally a native of Palawan Island in the Philippines however; it can be seen in zoos around California.
This peacock came as a result of mating between a pheasant and a peacock. However, they are not entirely ground birds like actual peacocks, they are flight birds.
This peacock has a combination of beautiful colors that makes it stand out.
It comes in a mixture of violet-blue, black, and metallic green.
While the peahen has a mixture of muted brown color with spotted feathers; this helps them camouflage when they need to escape attacks from predators.
The blue spots on their tail look like eyes; they use this to scare away predators. This bird is relatively large, but the males are usually bigger than the females.
With the increasing rate of peacock hunting and trading, this bird is classified as endangered. Their numbers are gradually reducing due to the activities of hunters.
The Wild Palawan Peacock Pheasants are either used as meat or as decoration.
Furthermore, this bird is classified as an insectivorous bird; this simply means that they particularly feed on insects. Generally, they feed on insect larvae, frogs, centipedes, termites, seeds, and berries.
2. Grey Peacock Pheasants
The grey peacock pheasant also results from mating between a peacock and a pheasant. These birds are as colorful as an actual peacock.
As their name implies they have a grey background color and with blue, black, and white spots.
The males are usually slightly bigger than the females. Also, the males are generally darker and less ornamented compared to the female.
These birds feed mainly on invertebrates, termites, fruits, and so on. Because their food is relatively easy to find they are considered low-maintenance birds.
The Grey Peacock Pheasants are very shy birds and so, they love to be by themselves.
They are very noisy birds; they make weird sounds when they are mating or being attacked by predators.
The males make loud noises and fan out their feathers during the mating season to attract a mate.
Another notable feature this bird possesses is a long life span; it can live up to 11 to 30 years.
This peacock is quite common in the wild, but they aren’t held as captives in most cases.
Keeping birds in captivity is no fun for them but it is a good way to prevent them from going extinct.
Captivity reduces the rate of hunter attacks on these peacocks.
This ground bird roosts in trees but build its nests on the ground.
They also have an interesting defense mechanism; they use their feathers to frighten off potential predators.
This gives them a large appearance, which scares their potential predators.
Here is an article I wrote on 5 peacock species in Florida
3. Bornean Peacock Pheasants
The Bornean peacock pheasant is an uncommon peacock.
The peacock grows up to 50 cm long; it has rufous brown, green, and black spotted colors. The males are usually brightly colored while the females have duller colors.
This peacock is particularly known for its elongated crest and nape feathers. Its colorful feathers are twenty-two in number.
The Bornean Peacock Pheasants have large blue-green ocelli that are shaped like a fan. This bird loves to eat insects, leaves, fruit termites, and so on.
They are considered to be endangered species as well. Hunters usually go after them for meat and their beautifully colored feathers.
Furthermore, these beautiful peacocks have a uniquely loud sound; generally, they make these sounds during their breeding season and when are distressed.
The male species particularly make sounds when they are trying to attract a mate.
4. Indian Peacock
The Indian peacock is the most frequently seen peacock around the world, it is however an origin in India.
This peafowl has a characteristic distinct color. The male has a blue head with brightly colored long feathers which they use in attracting the females.
The females on the other hand have duller colors and their feathers aren’t as long as that of the male.
The feathers of the female usually function as a camouflage to protect chicks from predators. While the male uses its feather to attract a female partner during breeding.
The male species can grow up to 3.5 meters long and weigh about 5.5kg.
Their female specie which is slightly smaller is about 2 meters long and weighs about 3kg. This ground bird is usually seen on tall trees when it wants to roost.
These peafowl also has a distinctive sound which makes it easy for them to be detected.
They make different sounds for different reasons; you may hear this sound when they are trying to communicate when they are attacked by predators when they are angry, and during their breeding season.
Also check out this article I wrote on peacock species in Hawaii
5. Melanistic Indian Peafowl
Although the melanistic Indian peacock is not as colorful as other peacocks, it is one of the world’s most remarkable peacocks.
As its name implies it has very dark-colored feathers. This beautiful black ground bird has a black neck and head, black feathers, and black legs.
These peacock species though a ground bird also fly when it has to roost on tree tops.
The Melanistic Indian peacock is known to be a loner; it loves to stay by itself. They only interact with other species members during the breeding season.
During the breeding season, the male species makes a loud call to attract the female. This call is typically made to entice a female.
Also, when the male Melanistic Indian Peafowl wishes to mate with a female, he prepares a dancing ground, where he displays his amazing dance moves as a means of attracting the female peacock.
Usually, they perform this dance for a peahen to show off their magnificent tail feathers.
The size of this bird is incredible. It is one of the largest pheasants on the planet. Males weigh about 2.04-2.72kg and measure 260-200cm in length.
Females are significantly smaller than males; they weigh about 1.59-1.7kg and measure 72-76 cm in length.
The males have extremely long tail feathers and large wing feathers that have large eyespots.
Females, on the other hand, have duller skin color than males; they also have shorter tails and fewer eyespots.
Conclusion
Peacocks are extremely beautiful birds; they appear in different colors depending on what species they are.
These beautiful creatures are gradually going extinct, and so, most species are kept captive in zoos and Wildlife Park to protect them from hunters.
This article provides you with 5 amazing creatures you can come across in California.
