Pavo cristatus
Japanese Name: インドクジャク
Chinese Name: 孔雀、印度孔雀
English Name: Common peafowl, Peafowl, Indian peafowl, Blue peafowl
Origin: India, Sri Lanka, and other South Asian regions
The peafowl was first introduced to Okinawa Prefecture on Aragusuku Island in the Yaeyama Islands, and later in 1979 as an ornamental bird at a resort on Kohama Island. Subsequently, it was gifted to various locations. Due to inadequate management and typhoon damage to enclosures, some peafowl escaped and began breeding in the wild, becoming an invasive species. Today, peafowl can be found on Miyako Island, Irabu Island, Ishigaki Island, Kohama Island, Aragusuku Island, Yonaguni Island, and Kuroshima Island in Okinawa Prefecture.
The peafowl has been designated an “Urgent Countermeasure Invasive Species” in Japan. Okinawa Prefecture has implemented a removal plan to control its population in various areas. In 2024, Miyako Island is expected to capture over 1,000 peafowl, marking the highest number to date.
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