The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-shaped bird with fan-shaped wings, a national bird's white patch below the eye, and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colorful than the female, with a bright blue breast and neck and a brilliant bronze-green train of about 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks a train. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, tail sticking out and spreading its wings, is a grand sight.
The peacock is found widely in the Indian subcontinent south and east of the Indus River, in Jammu and Kashmir, eastern Assam, south Mizoram and the entire Indian peninsula. The peacock enjoys protection from the people as it is never molested for religious and emotional reasons. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
