Pavo (bird)
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Pavo is a genus of two Asiatic species in the tribe Pavonini. The two species, along with the Congo peafowl of Africa, are commonly referred to as "peafowl".
Taxonomy
The genus Pavo was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The genus name is the Latin word for a peacock. The type species is the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus).
Species
The genus Pavo contains two species, both native to Asia:
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian peafowl Male Female | Pavo cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 | South Asia; introduced elsewhere | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Green peafowl Male Female | Pavo muticus Linnaeus, 1766 Three subspecies P. m. muticus Linnaeus, 1766P. m. spicifer Shaw, 1804P. m. imperator Delacour, 1949 | Southeast Asia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | EN |
Fossil record
- Pavo bravardi (Bravard's peafowl) (Early – Late Pliocene) – Gallus moldovicus, sometimes misspelt moldavicus, may be a junior synonym
- Gallus aesculapii, a Late Miocene – Early Pliocene "junglefowl" of Greece, may also have been a peafowl
In the Pliocene on the Balkan Peninsula, Bravard's peafowl coexisted with ptarmigans (Lagopus sp.) Peafowl were widespread on the Balkan Peninsula and in Southeastern Europe until the end of the Pliocene.