Green Peafowl
Pavo muticus
The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is the wild peafowl of Southeast Asia, now fragmented across parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Java. It is taller and leggier than the Indian peafowl, with a scaled green and bronze neck, an upright crest, barred wings and a long train in adult males. Females are also richly colored, so sexing is less obvious than in the familiar blue peafowl until train and spur development are considered. The species uses open forest, riverine grassland, dry woodland and cultivated edges where cover and water remain close by.
In human care, green peafowl are usually managed by experienced aviculturists, zoos or conservation programs rather than casual backyard keepers. They need large, planted, predator-proof pens, dry roosting areas, room for the male's train and management that limits fighting during the breeding season. Diets are commonly based on gamebird pellets with greens, grains and invertebrate protein. Because wild populations are endangered, captive birds should be documented carefully and kept separate from Indian peafowl to avoid hybrids being mistaken for conservation stock.
