Is the peacock a protected animal? A detailed explanation in one article

The peacock is the general name for birds of the tribe Pavonini in the family Phasianidae, with only 2 genera and 3 species. They often inhabit open areas of forests. The Indian peafowl (blue peacock) is distributed in places such as India and Sri Lanka, the green peafowl is distributed in places such as Southeast Asia, the white peacock is a leucistic variety of the Indian peafowl, and the Congo peafowl is distributed in tropical regions of Africa. Now let us take a look together at whether peacocks are protected animals!

Is the peacock a protected animal?

The green peafowl is a national first-class protected animal. There are only 2 genera and 3 species of peafowl. Among them, the Indian peafowl has a wide distribution range, mature artificial breeding technology, and does not approach the standard threshold for a vulnerable or endangered species, so it is not a nationally protected animal. The green peafowl is distributed in places such as Southeast Asia, and in China it is found only in western and southern Yunnan. Its wild population is scarce, and it is a national first-class protected animal, so it may not be privately raised, sold, or transported. The white peacock, however, is entirely snow-white; it is a variant of the Indian peafowl and is also not a nationally protected animal.

Is it really illegal to raise peacocks?

Raising Indian peafowl and white peacocks is not illegal. The green peafowl is a national first-class protected animal, and privately raising green peafowl is illegal. Article 22 of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that selling or purchasing nationally key protected wild animals or their products is prohibited. If, due to special circumstances such as scientific research, captive breeding, or exhibition, it is necessary to sell, purchase, or use nationally first-class protected wild animals or their products, approval must be obtained from the wildlife administrative department under the State Council or a unit authorized by it.

What varieties of peafowl are there?

1. Indian peafowl: The Indian peafowl is the most commonly raised species. It lives in hilly forests, dry semi-desertified grasslands, shrublands, and deciduous forest areas, especially near water. At dawn and dusk it follows its flock to fields to forage. It builds nests on the ground but roosts in trees.

2. Green peafowl: The green peafowl is distributed in Southeast Asia, and in China it is found only in western and southern Yunnan. Its wild population is scarce, and it is a national first-class protected animal of China. It likes to move about in open woodlands and grasslands, riverbanks or roadside thickets, as well as forest grasslands and open clearings in forests.

3. Black peafowl: The black peafowl is a mutant variety of the wild Indian peafowl. Its numbers are extremely scarce. It is produced in places such as Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, and inhabits open sparse grasslands below 2000 m or open areas with shrubs and bamboo clumps. Its lifespan is about 25 years.

4. White peacock: The white peacock is a leucistic variety of the Indian peafowl under artificial breeding. Its whole body is snow-white, and its mutation rate is about 1/1000, making it relatively rare. This is mainly caused by the low frequency of gene mutation, but through artificial domestication it has already reached a state of population self-maintenance.