Charcoal

Charcoal Indian peafowl are a domestic color variety of Pavo cristatus, selected in aviaries rather than a separate species. The mutation gives the bird a smoky charcoal to near-black look, with far less iridescent shine than the standard India Blue. Mature peacocks may carry a dark train with weaker eyespot pattern, while peahens are usually dusky gray-brown. Charcoal can be bred on barred-wing or black-shoulder backgrounds and may be combined with pied, silver pied, or white-eyed markings, so the amount of visible dark color varies from bird to bird.

Care is ordinary Indian peafowl care: dry outdoor space, predator-resistant fencing, elevated roosts, and a diet based on gamebird or poultry feed with greens, insects, grain, and grit. The color is best judged after the juvenile molts and in natural light, since black-shoulder, pied, and white can obscure the genetics. Breeding programs benefit from known pairings and a broad gene pool; color alone is a poor reason to keep weak chicks or undersized adults.

Colors: Barred‑Wing, Black‑Shoulder, Pied, Silver Pied, White‑Eyed