The Indian Peafowl is expanding its distribution at an exponential rate across Kerala where it was once absent.
The presence of the national bird has increased by 150% in the State since 2000, according to the State of India’s Birds Report 2023 released recently.
The report noted that the species has been rapidly expanding its range and population across the country, including in Kerala. “The reasons for this pattern have not been investigated in detail, but expansion into Kerala may be associated with an overall drying trend (weather-wise),” it noted.
The legal protection provided by the Wildlife Protection Act and the penalties for poaching and poisoning may also have contributed to the increase in the distribution and population of the species. The distribution of the birds began showing an increasing trend in Kerala in 2018. It touched a 150% increase in 2022, according to the report.
The bird faces no real challenges to its survival and hence is classified as of ‘Least Concern’ in the global Red List. The Act provides the species protection on a par with tigers and elephants.
“The growing arid conditions in the State might have turned favourable for the dry-land bird species to spread its distribution in Kerala,” said wildlife expert P.O. Nameer, who along with V. Sanjo Jose, published the research paper ‘The expanding distribution of the Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) as an indicator of changing climate in Kerala.’
Peafowls have now reached all the districts of the State. Besides the arid conditions, the decrease in the annual number of rainy days too might have turned out to its advantage, he pointed out.
Incidentally, Kerala had notified a 500-hectare area at Mayiladumpara in Palakkad as Choolannur Peafowl Sanctuary a few years ago.
Meanwhile, the increasing presence of these majestic birds has added to the growing human-wildlife conflicts in many parts of the State. The birds feed on almost all vegetable crops and damage paddy.
The State of India’s Birds Report report has called for measures to assess the conflicts and management of the situation considering the distribution trends and reports of “greater levels of crop damage by peafowl.”
