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NATIONAL BIRD OF INDIA
The Peacock, Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), the national bird of India.
It is symbolic of qualities like beauty, grace, pride and mysticism. Peacocok is
a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch
under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful
than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green
train of around 200 elongated feathers it is able to expand its tail erect like
fan as ostentatious display. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male,
and lacks the train. These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look they have
a harsh call. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and
preening its feathers is a beautiful sight.
The peacock is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from the south and east
of the Indus river, Jammu and Kashmir, east Assam, south Mizoram and the whole of
the Indian peninsula. Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages) they
live in jungle lands near water. They were once bred for food but now hunting of
peacocks is banned in India.
The Peacock is depicted in picture with the company of Indian Gods and Goddesses.
It is the sacred bird of the India, protected not only by a religious sentiment
but also by parliamentary statute. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. |
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