Can Peafowl Fly?

There are only three known species of peafowl and all of these large birds have beautiful plumage. But can peacocks fly with those incredible feathers? While these birds are able to fly, they cannot travel in the air very far. That’s why, we often see them on the ground and hardly ever up in the air. In this article, I’ll take a closer look at what peacocks can fly and why they do it. Types of Peafowl Peafowl, as we generally know them are the Indian Peafowl. Instantly recognizable with a mass of brilliantly colored feathers, the peacock is heralded as an icon of beauty. The other 2 species are very rare and only occasionally reported. For our purposes, we will be investigating the Indian Peafowl. Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) As the range map shows below, the Indian Peafowl is native to India and surrounding areas. Elsewhere, established populations are across the globe and are classed as exotic. Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) The Green Peafowl is a rare rainforest bird, only seen in south east Asia. Congo Peacock (Afropavo congensis) Another rare peafowl, only seen occasionally in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Can Peacocks fly? Within the Peafowl family, only the males are known as peacocks, while a female peafowl is called a peahen. Peacocks are able to fly but they cannot fly long distances or for a longer period of time. It’s very unusual for a peacock to get up into the air. Once they start flying, they are likely to only travel a mile maximum. However, most peacocks don’t fly at all unless they need to fly up into a tree for shelter and roosting at night, or overcome obstacles. When they come down again in the morning, they simply glide off the tree. As peacocks

There are only three known species of peafowl and all of these large birds have beautiful plumage.