Green Peafowl – Breed Profile & Facts

Native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, the Green Peafowl is one of the three species of peafowl in the world. It’s also called the Indonesian Peafowl, and along with the Indian peafowl, it’s the most recognizable peafowl species.

These peafowl are found in a wide range of habitats from tropical and subtropical forests to grasslands, savannas, scrub, and edges of farmlands.

Unfortunately, the Green Peafowl is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The bird can no longer be found in many areas of its past distribution.

If you’re curious to find out what makes the Green peafowl special compared to the blue Indian peafowl, I encourage you to read my article below dedicated to this peafowl species.

What is a Green Peafowl?

A member of the pheasant family, the Green Peafowl is a dazzling bird with long upper tail coverts decorated with blue and olive green eyespots.

Differences between the male and female of the species are less pronounced compared to the differences between the male and female Blue peafowl.

In most respects, the female Green peafowl is almost the same as the male of the species, except for the tail coverts, which are smaller and green in case of the female.

To the untrained eye, there’s little to no differences between the sexes of this peafowl species.

The plumage on the neck and breast is iridescent green and looks a lot like scales instead of feathers.

The face of the green peafowl features white and blue stripes, while the skin close to the ear, features an orange crescent.

Both of the sexes have dark, shafted crests. The crest of the female has wider plumes, while the male’s crest is taller.

Green Peafowl Characteristics

Plumage characteristics aside, these birds are heavy-winged, feature long legs and long tails. Let’s see how heavy they are, what is their temperament and lifespan, and how to care for these birds should you decide to breed them.

– Size & Weight

The total length of the male Green peafowl is 5 ft 11 in – 9 ft 10 in (1.8–3 m). This includes the train (tail covert) as well, which makes up a significant portion of these measurements, seeing that it has a length between 4 ft 7 in – 5 ft 3 in (1.4–1.6 m).

Females of the species are significantly smaller, measuring only around half of the total length of a breeding male.

The adult male weighs 8.3-11 lbs (3.8-5 kg), while the female weighs 2.2-2.6 lbs (1-1.2 kg).

Therefore, it’s safe to say that despite the same-colored plumage, the females of the species are significantly smaller, and can be identified based on size in a side-by-side comparison.

– Temperament

Unlike the Blue peafowl, which is famous for its docile and easy-going nature, Green peafowls – and especially peacocks – are aggressive.

This aggressivity is more pronounced during the breeding season. They can become so aggressive that they’re known to attack humans even.

Because of their aggressive nature, they don’t make good companions for other birds, and they’re best kept separately from other domesticated birds, including poultry.

For this reason, they also don’t make an ideal pet either.

– Lifespan

The average lifespan of a Green peafowl is somewhere between 12 to 15 years. This number is usually higher for peafowl raised in captivity, and it can be lower for wild peafowls.

Loss of habitat, poaching, hunting, and other factors have caused a significant decline in the distribution and population of the Green peafowl.

– Egg Production

These birds can produce 3-8 eggs per clutch. The eggs are about three times larger than the eggs of chicken. Their taste, however, is similar.

Peahens don’t start laying fertile eggs until they reach sexual maturity, which happens around two years of age.

Usually, if the eggs are taken away, they’ll form another clutch. But even so, they won’t lay more than 20-30 eggs a year.

After laying the eggs, the peahen proceeds to incubate them for 26-28 days.

– Meat Production

In some areas of the world, peafowl are still raised for their eggs and meat. However, because of the population decline of the Green peafowl, there aren’t that many specimens left in the wild.

Most of the Green peafowl population can be found in wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

The population size is believed to be around 5,000-30,000 individuals. As an endangered species, its breeding for meat production is not allowed.

Green Peafowl Care

In the wild, Green peafowl enjoy forest habitats, farmland edges, scrub and savannas, mainly away from human disturbances.

Wildlife sanctuaries offer them these conditions, however, Green peafowl raised in captivity have other demands that must be properly addressed for their health and longevity.

– Feeding & Nutrition

As omnivores, Green Peafowl eat all sorts of things in the wild. They’ll feed on seeds, fruits, grasses, insects, small reptiles, amphibians, and even small rodents.

In captivity, they should be fed a high-protein game bird feed or a commercially available pheasant feed.

They should also be allowed to forage freely in a large enough enclosure.

– Housing

There are a couple of things to consider when designing the housing or enclosure for the Green peafowl.

First, these are large birds that need ample space to forage freely. The enclosure can be covered or uncovered. Peafowls aren’t escape artists, even though they’re capable of flight, they don’t fly at such high altitudes.

Besides space for foraging and just moving around, peafowl also need protection against cold and rain.

Remember, the Green peafowl is a tropical bird. If it’s raised outside its normal range, it needs a warm and dry coop where it’s protected by frost, mud, rain and other such conditions.

Other than these, they also need some sort of cover from the strong rays of the sun or a place that they can use as a refuge during heatwaves.

Once again, because of their temperament, they’re best kept on their own and not with other birds.

– Health Problems

Generally, disease-free and resistant, inadequate housing and nutritional deficiencies can make the Green peafowl susceptible to several diseases.

Another argument for keeping the Green peafowl separate from any chicken or other poultry is their susceptibility to blackhead disease and coccidiosis, which chickens carry.

These birds are also susceptible to viruses and parasites. Testing their stool for parasites and using deworming medicine is necessary to keep them healthy.

To reduce the chances of them getting sick, make sure to provide them access to fresh and clean water, make sure to clean their enclosure, and offer them a complete diet.

How Much do Green Peafowl Cost?

The cost of peafowl varies based on age, gender, species, and availability. As an endangered species, it’s unlikely that you can buy or sell a Green peafowl, at least not as a private person.

Certain subspecies of Green peafowl like the Java Green Peafowl are available at hatcheries or breeders. These birds can cost as much as a thousand dollars.

Before you decide to buy one, however, think of their temperament and keeping requirements, and whether you can meet those demands.

Is Green Peafowl Good for Beginners?

Normally, peafowls aren’t fussy birds, nor are they high-maintenance. For example, the Blue peafowl is excellent for beginners specifically because of their good temperament and their sociable nature.

Green peafowl, on the other hand, can become aggressive, especially during breeding, they don’t enjoy the company of other birds, nor the company of humans all that much.

Therefore, I would not recommend them for beginners, and would argue that the Blue Peafowl is a much better choice.

Are Green Peafowls Hardy?

Yes, hardiness is a common trait of peafowls. That doesn’t mean that these birds can never get sick or don’t need looking after.

But with good care, healthy nutrition, and health monitoring, you can expect them to be healthy and disease-free.

If you know what things to avoid and how you can better manage their needs, you can rest assured that these birds will thrive.

Can Green Peafowl Fly?

Despite their large size, Green peafowl are capable of flying. They can fly into the safety of trees or onto rooftops.

In order to take flight, however, they need to build some momentum by running. They can fly at a speed of around 10 mph and a height of about 8 feet.

If you’re worried about your peafowl escaping from their enclosure, the fear is valid, however, peafowl don’t routinely seek to fly away.

They usually take flight when disturbed or when they fear predators may be lurking around.

That said, if the enclosure has high enough fences or it’s a covered one, you don’t need to worry about your Green peafowls making an escape.

Tips on Keeping Green Peafowls

Whether raised for breeding purposes or as decorative birds, Green peafowls should be kept separately from other birds.

During the breeding season, they get aggressive and won’t tolerate the presence of other birds around.

Green peafowls should not be kept in overcrowded spaces. Because they’re large birds, they need ample space for foraging and roaming around.

Keeping their enclosure clean and dry can significantly lessen the risk of diseases. Offering these birds suitable housing means providing a cover in summer and a dry and warm coop during the winter.

It’s also crucial to meet their nutritional demands by feeding them a diet that encompasses all the nutrients these birds have access to in the wild.

As omnivores, Green Peafowls have a varied diet that includes both vegetable matter and animal protein.

Conclusion

Green peafowl are spectacular birds with feathers that resemble scales and impressive tail feathers that open like a fan.

While it’s a close look-alike of the Blue peafowl, the Green peafowl has a different temperament. It’s a more elusive species and quite aggressive towards other birds and even humans.

It’s also an endangered species, which means that populations in the wild are decreasing at a rapid rate and that these birds could become extinct in the years that follow.

Conservation efforts are underway in several countries, where these birds can be seen in protected sanctuaries.

Loss of habitat, extensive hunting and poaching are some of the major threats that have led to the sharp decline of the Green peafowl population.