Green Peafowl

Male Green Peafowl

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Galliformes
Family : Phasianidae
Genus : Pavo
Species : P. muticus

Length : 3.5ft (1.1m) 
Weight : 11lbs (5.5g)

IUCN Status : Endangered

The Green Peafowl is a rather large gamefowl found in South East Asia. They are far more rare than the Blue (or Indian) Peafowl, which is commonly kept in captivity.Green Peafowl are known for their upright posture and brilliant green necks.

One of the big differences between the Green and Blue Peafowl is that male and female Greens look alike, with the exception of the males' long tails. Females are a tad more dull in color, but they are a far cry from the drab, camouflaging brown of the female Blue Peafowls.

Female Green Peafowl

Female Green Peafowl live in small groups together, along with juveniles. During the breeding season they are courted by the males who fan out their massive, colorful tails. Pairs do not form lasting bonds, and after the mating season the males molt their spectacular tail feathers.

Unfortunately, the long beautiful feathers and the substantial size of this species has caused them to be hunted. Habitat loss has also affected their population.

Green Peafowl

Male Green Peafowl

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Aves

Order : Galliformes

Family : Phasianidae

Genus : Pavo

Species : P. muticus



Length : 3.5ft (1.1m) 

Weight : 11lbs (5.5g)



IUCN Status : Endangered



The Green Peafowl is a rather large gamefowl found in South East Asia. They are far more rare than the Blue (or Indian) Peafowl, which is commonly kept in captivity.Green Peafowl are known for their upright posture and brilliant green necks.



One of the big differences between the Green and Blue Peafowl is that male and female Greens look alike, with the exception of the males' long tails. Females are a tad more dull in color, but they are a far cry from the drab, camouflaging brown of the female Blue Peafowls.

Female Green Peafowl

Female Green Peafowl live in small groups together, along with juveniles. During the breeding season they are courted by the males who fan out their massive, colorful tails. Pairs do not form lasting bonds, and after the mating season the males molt their spectacular tail feathers.



Unfortunately, the long beautiful feathers and the substantial size of this species has caused them to be hunted. Habitat loss has also affected their population.

Wild Turkey

Come on, how could I write about anything else on (American) Thanksgiving? Turkeys are absolutely central to the holiday, as both the main meal and as an icon for the season. But rather than talk about the domestic bird that gets eaten, we're going to talk about their wild cousin, the feathered friend that Benjamin Franklin described as "a... respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America." Due to reintroduction and transplanting of wild populations, Wild Turkeys are now found in every U.S. state except for Alaska.

(Image Source)

Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are natively found throughout North America in six different subspecies. Turkeys were domesticated by the Aztecs, and by other native groups around the same time, and are one of only two bird species to be domesticated in North America (the other being the Muscovy Duck). It was once believed that the South Mexican subspecies was the wild ancestor to the domestic birds, but that has now been ruled out. The true identity of the original birds is still unknown.

Wild Turkeys are smaller than their domesticated brethren, and exhibit sexual dimorphism. Females reach weights of around 12lbs, while males around are 25. They are a polygynous species, with males mating with more than one female during each breeding season. The "Gobble" that is most associated with Turkeys is actually a mating call to attract females. After breeding, males take no part in the care of the chicks. Chicks follow their mother, and quickly learn how to feed themselves. In the wild, turkeys have a very short life expectancy of around two years, though captive birds have lived well over ten.

Did you know that Wild Turkeys are omnivores? They feed mostly on seeds, leaves, and nuts, but they do also eat insects and small vertebrates like lizards. Young Turkeys and Eggs have numerous predators, including Raccoons, Birds, and Skunks, while adults are preyed upon by larger predators such as Coyotes and Bobcats.

Golden Pheasant

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The Golden or Chinese Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is a rather interesting looking bird belonging to the Galliformes order and found natively in China. There are also feral populations in England and elsewhere.

To be perfectly honest, I chose this bird because of its absolutely spectacular looks. The males are simply gorgeous birds, with red, blues, greens, golds found throughout their color palette. The females are quite less stunning; they are a dull brown color which aids in camouflage. Even though the males are quite flashy, they live in very dense habitats and are not easily seen.

Golden Pheasants are omnivores, feeding on invertebrates, berries, grains, and other forms of vegetation. They are able to fly, but are  a bit clumsy, and are typically found on the ground.

(Image Source)

Golden Pheasants interbreed with Lady Amherst Pheasants, (also of the genus Chrysolophus) and many captive individuals are mixed breeds. Captive Goldens are bred for a variety of different colors, including Yellow and Cinnamon Goldens. They intermingle well with birds of other species.

Ptarmigan

Rock

Let's start off Alaska Week (which is now starting to look like Alaska Week-and-a-half based on all the suggestions I've been getting) with a Bird! The lovely bird that is one of our Alaska Week logo mascots- the Ptarmigan. Now, there are actually three species of Ptarmigan that share the genus Lagopus, which in turn shares its taxonomic family with grouses. The three species are the Willow Grouse (also known as the Willow Ptarmigan), the Rock Ptarmigan (which is often just called Ptarmigan), and the White-Tail Ptarmigan, which thankfully only as one common name. From here on out here I'm just going to refer to them as Willow, Rock and White-Tail.

Willow

All three species inhabit Alaska, with the Willow found pretty much everywhere, the Rock living everywhere but the flat tundras near the Western and Northern coats, and the White-Tail inhabiting the rocky uplands. When all three species live in a close area, the Willows live at the lowest altitudes, the Ricks take the middle slopes, and the White-Tails inhabit the higher ridges.

They like to hide around rocks and bushes, and though they are able to fly, they prefer to walk around. Their nests are on the ground, and they lay eggs in clutches of 4-7 in the summer. In Autumn and Winter they become nomadic, moving from place to place for shelter. In spring massive flocks can be found moving back to their breeding grounds.

White-Tail

Ptarmigan have two different colorations depending on the time of year. In winter they are entirely white, and in summer they are brown with white flecks. These colors help to camouflage them with their ground surroundings. Unfortunately their coloration is not uncommon in the rest of the arctic world, as some of their major predators, including owls and foxes, also change color seasonally. This helps them to hide from their prey.

The Willow Ptarmigan is the State Bird of Alaska!

Images from Animal Pictures Archive, State Symbols USA, & Alaska in Pictures