Indian peafowl recorded for the first time in Orang Tiger Reserve

The brief in 4 cards

1. Context1 / 4

   The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) has been officially recorded for the first time inside Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam.

   • The bird was photographed inside the protected area.
   • Forest staff had earlier reported possible sightings near the Rowmari and Hazaribagh anti-poaching camps.
   • The photographs then confirmed the species.
   • There was no earlier documented record of Indian peafowl inside Orang.

   Why does the record matter?

   A new species record adds to what is known about a protected area's wildlife and where species live.

   But be careful with the words "first record". They mean the first confirmed documentation. They do not mean the bird has entered the reserve for the first time.

2. Key highlights2 / 4

   Indian peafowl: Prelims facts

   Basic identity

   • Scientific name: Pavo cristatus
   • Family: Phasianidae
   • National Bird of India
   • Male: peacock
   • Female: peahen
   • Together: peafowl

   India declared the Indian peafowl its National Bird in 1963.

   Male and female look different

   The species shows strong sexual dimorphism. This means males and females look clearly different.

   • Male: bright blue-green feathers and a long showy train.
   • Female: duller brown-grey feathers.

   Important: the colourful "train" of a peacock is made mainly of very long upper-tail covert feathers. It is not the true tail.

   Diet

   Indian peafowl are omnivores. They eat:

   • seeds and grains;
   • fruits and plant matter;
   • insects;
   • reptiles; and
   • small animals.

   Habitat

   They are commonly found in open forests, scrublands, grasslands and farmland. They are resident birds. They do not usually migrate long distances.

3. Key concepts3 / 4

   Conservation status

   IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species has a very large range, and its population in India has risen in recent assessments.

   Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I. This gives the Indian peafowl a high level of legal protection under Indian law.

   The UPSC trap

   "Least Concern" does not mean "not protected".

   • The IUCN status tells us how likely the species is to go extinct across the world.
   • The Wildlife (Protection) Act decides how strongly the species is protected within India.

   So one species can be Least Concern on the IUCN list and also in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. These two labels measure different things.

4. Note4 / 4

   Orang Tiger Reserve: what to remember

   Location. Orang Tiger Reserve is in Assam, in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.

   History

   • Wildlife Sanctuary: 1985
   • National Park: 1999
   • Tiger Reserve: 2016

   Area. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) gives these figures:

   • Core: 79.28 sq km
   • Buffer: 413.18 sq km
   • Whole Tiger Reserve: 492.46 sq km

   Some older Assam web pages show smaller figures. These usually refer only to the National Park or core area, not the whole Tiger Reserve.

   Landscape. Orang has wet alluvial grasslands, seasonal swamp forests, moist deciduous forests and river habitats.

   Important animals

   • Bengal tiger
   • Greater one-horned rhinoceros
   • Asian elephant
   • Pygmy hog
   • Bengal florican

   The takeaway for Prelims

   Remember this chain: Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus, National Bird, Schedule I, IUCN Least Concern.

   And this one: Orang, Assam, north bank of the Brahmaputra, Darrang and Sonitpur, Tiger Reserve since 2016.

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