India revives 45-year tradition at UN Geneva with gift of five peacocks

Why in News?

India has gifted five Indian peafowls to the United Nations Office at Geneva, bringing India’s national bird back to the UN’s European headquarters. The group consists of four blue Indian peafowls and one white-feathered male.

Key Points

The five peafowls have been gifted as a symbol of India’s cultural and natural heritage. They will initially be kept in an enclosed habitat for around three months to acclimatise before being allowed to move around Ariana Park, the green space surrounding the UN complex.

The four blue birds and the white male also complement the blue-and-white colours associated with the United Nations.

The unusual white male is not a separate species. It belongs to the same species as the familiar Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus. Its distinctive colour is associated with genetic variation affecting pigmentation.

White peafowls are relatively uncommon compared with the typical blue-green Indian peafowl. Their white colour may result from inherited genetic variations, but a white peafowl should not automatically be classified as an albino, because albinism is a specific genetic condition involving pigmentation.

Indian peafowls can tolerate cooler climates when provided with adequate shelter, food and protection from prolonged cold and wet conditions. Geneva’s freezing winters are therefore expected to be the major environmental challenge for the birds.

Their feathers provide insulation, while fluffing their feathers helps trap warm air close to the body and retain heat.

About Indian Peafowl

• Scientific name: Pavo cristatus
• Common name: Indian peafowl / Indian peacock
• Status: India’s national bird
• The species is naturally distributed mainly across the Indian subcontinent.
• The male is known for its distinctive iridescent plumage and elaborate train of tail feathers

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