Studies on different behavioral activities of Indian peafowl (Pavo Cristatus) in agricultural areas of Punjab

Abstract

The present study was carried out to assess the behavioral activity patterns of Indian Peafowl in location I (Punjab Agricultural University Campus, Ludhiana) and Location II (Village Baranhara, Ludhiana) from February 2016 to January 2017. Different behavioral activities of Indian peafowl were recorded using scan sampling. The results revealed that Indian Peafowl (male as well as female) devoted maximum proportion of the day in feeding followed by standing, walking, running, roosting and calling. Observations were taken at the time spend in other activities such as display, preening and flying in different seasons. Overall, males and females spent different proportions of time on different behavioral activities varied during the breeding and non breeding season. The initiation of display activity was related to breeding season and seemed to be unaffected by the presence of the opposite sex. Dust bathing and preening was observed more in males as compared to females. Roosting was noted on indigenous trees at location I as compared to buildings/ roofs at location II.