My Science School

Peafowl is belonging to the pheasant family. It is native to Asia. It is among the largest flying birds. Male peafowl is called peacock, while female is called peahen.

Peahens are mostly brown on their back with a white belly, while peacocks have long, colorful tail feathers. Both have a crest on their head and green neck feathers.

Males use their large train in courtship displays. They spread it out into an arch-shaped fan, flaunting the colourful “eye” markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. It is an omnivore feeding on insects, amphibians, flowers, and seeds. Its main predators are tigers, leopards, and mongoose. When it senses danger, it flies and hides in the trees.

When the breeding time comes around each year, the peacock will try to impress the peahen as much as possible. Apart from displaying his feathers and train, he will also guard his territory and make a loud noise to ward off other males. In areas of Asia where the peacock is hunted, they are not often seen and remain wary and shy of their surroundings. However, the Indian peacock is protected in many parts of Asia for personal or religious reasons.

Picture Credit : Google

You can identify it by the colours on its body. Its crown, wings, tail and belly sport different shades of blue, while its neck its neck and throat are purplish and the chest is brown.

It lives in open areas and agricultural landscapes. It is generally quiet, but turns vociferous during the breeding season. It makes a harsh chack… chack… sound.

It is known for my acrobatic courtship displays. The male Indian Roller is known for its unique and startling sexual display which it performs during the breeding season. During the course of the display the Indian Roller bird flies high up in the sky and descends downwards in a circular motion, flapping its winds rapidly.

Many states in India have made the Indian Roller their state bird. The Indian roller is considered to be a sacred bird in Hindu mythology and is associated with the deity Lord Shiva. The species of the Indian Roller bird does not face the threat of extinction. It is not an endangered species.

Picture Credit : Google

Great egret is a wading bird that belongs to the heron family. It inhabits swamps, lakes, ponds, areas near the rivers, streams and islands.

It has a long leg, S-shaped neck and white plumage. It stands motionless and waits for the prey to come close enough. It catches its prey, usually fish, frogs, snakes and crustaceans, using its long, sharp bill in a fraction of a second.

Its predators are raccoons, owls and hawks.

The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters.

The great egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing them with its long, sharp bill most of the time by standing still and allowing the prey to come within its striking distance of its bill, which it uses as a spear. It often waits motionless for prey, or slowly stalks its victim.

They are diurnal feeders and at dusk they gather from surrounding areas to form communal roosts.

Picture Credit : Google

Birds of the corvid family are super smart. Crows belong to this family. Though there are different species of crows, the New Calidonian crow is said to be the most intelligent. They are capable of creating tools from twigs and using them to dig out insects from crevices. Crows are generally said to recognise human faces and distinguish between friends and foes. So think twice before shooing away a crow next time!

Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) in Israel use bread crumbs to bait-fish, and in Norway and Sweden, they drag fishing lines out of the water to get at the hooked fish. New Caledonian Crows (Corvus moneduloides) are famous for their innovations and tool-making, including “knives” made of stiff leaves.

Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) in Japan drop hard-to-crush nuts on the roadway at intersections so that moving traffic will crush them open. That may not seem so spectacular, but the crows also wait for the traffic light to change to red and then walk out in front of the stopped traffic to gather the nuts!  

Crows are in the genus Corvus. There are about 32 crow species, plus several subspecies. Three species inhabit the U.S.: American Crow, Northwestern Crow, and Fish Crow. Another species, the Hawaiian Crow, is extinct in the wild but can be seen at the San Diego Zoo, where a captive breeding program is ongoing.

Picture Credt : Google