DENSITY OF INDIAN BLUE PEAFOWL (PAVO CRISTATUS) IN DIFFERENT MICROHABITATS AT THANJAVUR DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

A total of 260 observations were taken into account to obtain thedensity of Indian Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) in all the transects in the study area. This average abundance consisting of 64 Peacocks, 140 Peahens and 56 chicks were obtained from August 2023 to July 2024 (12 months). The present study area actually covering Thanjavur district (10.7870⁰ N 79.1378⁰ E)which includes the taluks of Kumbakonam, Thiruvidaimaruthur, Papanasam, Thiruvaiyaru and Thanjavur. The data on the abundance of Indian Peafowl were obtained from 57 Transects in the study area and which includes 13 micro habitats. The study area which covering the various microhabitats such paddy crop, cotton plant, bamboo, commercial flower gardens, sugar cane field, banana plant, mango tree groove, coconut tree plantation, bushes of acacia sp, palm tree ground, papaya tree, black gram plant and ground nut plant field etc.All the transects were accounted for density estimation in the study area for Indian Blue Peafowl. Totally 57 transects/areas were studied for the density (Density, Upper Confident Level and Lower Confident Level at 95%) of Indian Blue peafowl. Among the transects, the highest mean density was 8.73/km sampled (Density 8.73 UCL 11.03 and LCL 7.23) observed in Erumaipatti area. Contrary, the lowest mean density of Indian Blue Peafowl was 2.45/km sampled in Rajagiri area (Density 2.45 UCL 4.75 and LCL 0.95). The other transects/areas were recorded the moderate density for Indian Blue Peafowl.The study area covered were 13 type of microhabitats in the study area such Paddy crop, Cotton plant, Bamboo, commercial flower gardens, Sugar cane field, Banana plant, Mango tree groove, Coconut tree plantation, Bushes of Acacia sp, Palm tree ground, Papaya tree, Black gram plantation and Ground nut plant field. The density of Indian Blue fowl was 115.85/ km sampled in paddy field (Density 115.85 UCL 118.15 and LCL 114.55 recorded. The minimum density was obtained (4.38/ km sampled) in the commercial flower gardens (Mean density 4.38 UCL 6.68 and LCL 3.08.The density of Indian Blue fowl in different sex were studied and it showed the highest density was found in the Paddy field in the case of cock. The maximum density was 33.27/km sampled (Density33.27 UCL 35.57 and LCL31.97) in the paddy field.  The minimum density of cock were recorded in the ground nut 1.45/km sampled (Density 1.45 UCL 3.75 and LCL 0.15).The density of Indian Blue fowl in the case of hen it was (74.91/km sampled) high (Mean density74.91 UCL 77.21 and LCL 73.61). The low density of hen was recorded (2.55/km sampled) in the commercial flower gardens (Density 2.55 UCL 4.85 and LCL 1.25).The chicks were accounted to find out the density of Indian Blue peafowls and the maximum density was 28.73/km sampled in the paddy field (Density 28.73 UCL 31.03 and LCL 27.43). The minimum density of chicks of peafowl 1.09/km sampled in the ground nut plantations (Density 1.09 UCL 3.39 and LCL 0)were obtained in the study area.