Those that love unique-looking animals will want to check out piebald peacocks. These birds belong to the Indian blue peafowl species but have unique patches of white on their bodies.
Piebald peacock: Piebald refers to an animal that has white patches and this is exactly what piebald peacocks have. They are part of the Indian peafowl species and can have small or large patches of white. Sometimes, the middle of their tails is full of white feathers while other times their bodies are white. You can even find piebald peacocks that are almost completely white except for a few patches of color. While there are now more breeders than ever that specialize in piebald peacocks, they are still hard to come by. There is a growing demand and it is hard for breeders to keep up with it. Furthermore, you can’t always determine just how much white will be on a piebald peacock although there is now a push to have white patches show up on specific areas of a peacock.
What is a piebald Indian Peacock?
The term pied is short for piebald can be used on just about any animal. It simply means an animal that has irregular patches of color, usually white but sometimes black.
A piebald peacock, therefore, is of the Indian peacock species but has white patches on its body instead of being the typically blue and green coloring you are used to.
While piebald peacocks exist in the wild, this is due to a genetic mutation. Once it was observed, breeders sought to harness the uniqueness and now you can find certified breeders that offer piebald peacocks.
Are Pied peacocks real?
Yes, pied peacocks are real. This is a common question as unfortunately, you can’t trust everything on the internet.
For example, there is a myth that peacocks and turkeys can breed together, and despite some photoshopped pictures, they are different species and therefore can’t actually breed.
There are also numerous types of peacocks that are slightly different than what you would expect. While there is no existence of a black peacock, there is a black-shouldered peacock, which can confuse some people.
So, yes, pied peacocks exist. They happen occasionally in the wild but are now becoming more common in captivity as more owners want distinct-looking animals.
Piebald Peacock Characteristics
Description
Piebald peacocks are very distinct looking. They belong to the Indian peacock species, which means they will have large, swooping tail feathers with blue and green patterns.
However, at least a part of their body will be white. The tricky thing is that no piebald peacock is the same.
So, you can have some piebald peacocks that are mostly white with small patches of green and blue, and others that are mostly blue and green with small patches of white.
Furthermore, when you breed a piebald peacock and a piebald peahen together, you will have a piebald peachick, but different birds from the same batch of eggs can look completely different.
There are now some breeders who are working on making location-specific pied peacocks. However, this is a laborious task and it remains to be seen how successful they will be.
Size
Piebald peacocks are exactly like the rest of their Indian peacock species. Their total body length is about 7 feet and most of this, 5 feet, is in the tail. Furthermore, expect piebald peacocks to be between 9 and 13 pounds in size.
You can also have female piebald peahens. They are only about 2 feet long as their tail feathers are just a few inches in length. Piebald peahens are also smaller, averaging between 6 and 10 pounds in size.
Diet
Like the rest of the peafowl population, piebald peacocks are omnivorous. In the wild, they will eat what they can find, which includes plants, berries, and even insects.
In captivity, however, you will need to feed them a balanced, nutritious diet. There are specific peacock foods you can purchase although, in a pinch, dried cat food will work.
Piebald peacocks will also happily eat kitchen scraps, which is an easy and convenient way to source their food. Just make sure there are no processed foods and stay away from overly sugary foods.
Population
There are many forms of pied peacocks and it is very hard to tell just how many of them there are. Many birds under this umbrella were only bred recently.
For example, the silver pied peacock, which has a few blue patches but is primarily white, was only properly bred in the 1990s.
While pied breeds are becoming more common, it can still be quite difficult to find them. Breeding can be difficult and due to the demand, you may have to wait a while before you can have one on your farm.
Life Span
The lifespan of a piebald in captivity is the same as a typical Indian peacock, which is about 20 years. In captivity, piebald peacocks don’t have to worry about fighting for food with others and they have more protection against predators.
In the wild, however, piebald peacocks probably have a shorter lifespan. Depending on how much white coloring they have, it can be a lot harder for piebald peacocks to camouflage them with the surrounding forest.
As a result, they can be more susceptible to predators.
How do you get a pied peacock?
The good news is that there are now more breeders than ever that specialize in pied peafowl. The bad news is that supply is often greater than demand.
If you have your heart set on a pied peacock, the first step is to do a quick internet search to find a breeder near you. Hopefully, they can get you on a list so you don’t have to wait too long to have your own amazing bird.
Conclusion
Piebald animals exist throughout nature and merely mean that a normal-colored animal has white spots. Piebald peacocks can vary greatly in appearance, with some having small white spots while others being almost entirely white.
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