NEW DELHI: The peafowl symbolise elegance and royalty in different cultures. They are also objects of reverence in many beliefs. Their genetic evolution is believed to have increased their ability to adapt to various agro-climatic regions.
However, there is a down side in India. The species is worryingly multiplying in range and density at a rapid clip, annoying farmers, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as they are destroying their crops. Its count has increased dramatically by a whopping 150% in the last two decades. The bird can now be spotted in those areas where there was no history of the peafowl’s footprint.
The Indian peafowl, a dryland species, has long been a bioindicator. It is associated with the forecast of rain. The bird anticipates rain and dances after seeing rain-filled black clouds. Within the past two decades, the peafowl expanded its presence from the Himalayan mountains to the humid tropics of the South. From nesting in the Himalayas at a height of over 2,000 metres above sea level to making rainforest of the Western Ghats its home, the peafowl’s ability to adapt to varied climate zones is remarkable. It can now be found in every district of Kerala, which is known for its wet and humid climate.
“We never had a history of peafowl presence at 1,700-2,200 metres above sea level in the Himalayas earlier,” informs Avantika Thapa, a researcher in West Bengal. However, its excess population could lead it to being termed vermin like monkeys, antelope, etc. For instance, in Sri Lanka, the peafowl is already categorised as an agro-pest though the bird is considered sacred in the country with a majority Buddhist population. The over breeding has started damaging crops like tomatoes, groundnuts, paddy, chilies, watermelons, long beans and bananas.
Experts say the rising peafowl population would also have a negative impact on snakes, amphibians, other reptiles and worms. A report on the State of the World Amphibians 2023 shows that India ranks 7th in number of threatened amphibian species. In fact, some amphibians have become locally extinct. “It needs to be scientifically investigated whether there is any connection between the two – reducing amphibians and increasing peafowl in the region,” says Asad Rahmani, ornithologist and conservationist. He is former director of Bombay Natural History Society. Peafowl is an omnivore that relies on vegetable matter.Its diet consists of 90% plant-related materials.
Amphibians are ectothermic species and sensitive to change in humidity and higher temperatures. Global warming has already impacted the local climate in Kerala. There is a clear trend of many districts of Kerala receiving comparatively lesser rainfall. Reduced moisture and a dry environment is suitable for peafowl proliferation. (See box)
“The expansion of the dryland species in humid tropics surprises many,” says Dr Sanjo Jose V, an assistant professor at the College of Climate Change and Environmental Science. Possible drying of ‘wet’ ecosystems due to habitat degradation and climate change may be responsible for it, says Jose, who has researched the expanding peafowl range in Kerala. Experts say expansion of agricultural land and reduction of forests also brought peafowl/peacocks in conflict with humans.
Genetic evolution
There are 2 peafowl types of same genus—green and blue. Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research has done research to understand differential adaptability of green and blue peafowl. They found blue peafowl has a more pronounced adaptive evolution. It possesses a higher number of expanded gene families, segmentally duplicated genes, species-specific gene clusters and genes with evolutionary signatures.
Dryland species
Studies show that the peafowl thrives in dry mixed deciduous forest. It prefers scrub jungles more, followed by agricultural fields and open barren land. As for roosting, it chooses to do so on dryland trees like Acacia polyacantha followed by Tamarindus indica, Eucalyptus longifolia and Ailanthus excelsa.
In Kerala, where the peafowl has multiplied much faster than elsewhere in the country, studies show that the state is getting drier. A 2016 study by the Indian Meteorological Department spanning 141 years of recorded history, showed a decrease in rainfall in June from 28% to 22.4% and in July from 23% to 18.4%. The study examined data from 1871 to 2010. North Kerala receives more rainfall during the southwest monsoon, while the trend is reversed during the post-monsoon season.