Congo Peafowl

Congo Peafowl
Congo Peafowl
A pair at Antwerp Zoo

(male on left of picture and female on right)

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Subfamily: Phasianinae
Genus: Afropavo
Chapin 1936
Species: A. congensis
Binomial name
Afropavo congensis
Chapin, 1936

The Congo Peafowl, Afropavo congensis, is a species of peafowl. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Afropavo.

The male is a large bird of up to 70 cm (28 in) in length. Its feathers are deep blue with a metallic green and violet tinge. It has bare red neck skin, grey feet, and a black tail with fourteen feathers. Its head is adorned with vertical white elongated hair-like feathers on its crown. The female is generally a chestnut brown bird with a black abdomen, metallic green back, and a short chestnut brown crest. Both sexes resemble immature Asian Peafowl, with early stuffed birds being erroneously classified as such before they were officially discovered as a unique species.

It inhabits and is endemic to lowland rainforests of Congo River Basin in the central part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The diet consists mainly of fruits and invertebrates. The male has a similar display to other peacocks, fanning its tail in this case, while other peacocks fan their upper tail coverts. The male Congo Peafowl is monogamous, though information from the wild is needed.

Very little is known about this species. It was first recorded as a species in 1936 by Dr. James Chapin based on two stuffed specimens at Congo Museum in Belgium. It has characteristics of both the peafowl and the guineafowl, which may indicate that the Congo Peafowl is a link between the two families.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and hunting in some areas, the Congo Peafowl is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Congo peafowl — konginiai povai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Afropavo angl. Congo peafowl vok. Kongopfau, m rus. африканский павлин, m; конголезский павлин, m pranc. paon du Congo, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – fazanai siauresnis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Congo peafowl — konginis povas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Afropavo congensis angl. Congo peafowl vok. Kongpfau, m rus. африканский павлин, m; конголезский павлин, m pranc. paon du Congo, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – konginiai… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Congo peafowl — noun both sexes are brightly colored • Syn: ↑afropavo, ↑Afropavo congensis • Hypernyms: ↑pheasant …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo — The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, such as both species of chimpanzee: the common chimpanzee and the bonobo (also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee), mountain… …   Wikipedia

  • Paon du Congo — Paon du Congo …   Wikipédia en Français

  • paon du Congo — konginiai povai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Afropavo angl. Congo peafowl vok. Kongopfau, m rus. африканский павлин, m; конголезский павлин, m pranc. paon du Congo, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – fazanai siauresnis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • paon du Congo — konginis povas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Afropavo congensis angl. Congo peafowl vok. Kongpfau, m rus. африканский павлин, m; конголезский павлин, m pranc. paon du Congo, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – konginiai… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

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