Subspecies of Pavo Muticus

[Faith SL]

So I have been wondering about this for a while, but as much as I search online I have not found a true answer. Some people say there are only three sub-species, so to speak, of Green peafowl - Pavo Muticus-Muticus, Pavo Muticus-Imperator, and Pavo Muticus-Spicifier. In searching for more information online I have found previous threads on Backyard Chickens and a few pages from other sites which list many more 'sub-species' of Dragonbirds, but I still have not found a simple list or chart detailing exactly how many 'sub-species' of Green peafowl are known today and what their scientific names are. I also don't know if calling these various groups of Dragonbirds 'sub-species' is correct or if there is a more accurate term.

Based on my limited knowledge in this area, I have listed and grouped together these sub-species in hopes to add to and improve this list and create a complete list of all known sub-species of Dragonbirds. As I am only relying on information I have found on the web (which seemed to be from a reputable source as much as I could tell) and have not actually been studying these magnificent creatures out in the field and in their natural environment, I have no idea if this is somewhat correct or completely off:

Pavo Muticus Annamensis

Pavo Annamensis Annamensis

Pavo Annamensis Bokorensis (Cardamom peafowl)

Pavo Annamensis Laotius

Pavo Annamensis Siamensis


Pavo Muticus Imperator

Pavo Imperator Cattiensis

Pavo Imperator Imperator

Pavo Imperator Siamensis

Pavo Imperator Tonkinensis

Pavo Imperator Yunnanensis


Pavo Muticus Spicifier

Pavo Spicifier Arakensis

Pavo Spicifier Spicifier



Pavo Muticus Javanensis (called Pavo Muticus-Muticus by some, but Pavo Muticus-Muticus seems to be an incorrect title...?)

Pavo Javanensis Baluranensis (Eastern Race)

Pavo Javanensis Javanensis (Western Race)





Any thoughts on this from the peafowl experts here? Any sub-species which I did not list or listed incorrectly? Any sub-species which have recently become extinct?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[peafowlmom]

I wish I knew.

I hope someone does!

 

[leo7]

Hello all
a nice list. It has more than three subspecies from green peafowl in the nature this is true.
But the list is make from people he have never see a green peacock in the natur. This people thinking peacocks can be classified based on a few bad photos from the internet. I think it belongs to know more, especially the study of species in his natural habitat.
Pity is that many breeders think they had this particular subspecies. But you can not have what was never imported from a country of origin.
I am convinced that more than 95 percent of all kept green peacocks are not pure species, they are selected by inbreeding or or crossed with other subspecies.

 

[Birdienumnums]

There is defiantly more than three types of greens!
There needs to be alot more work done in this area through DNA and photos of birds in the wild and of old skins,
A lot of people push their own birds with the paper work that backs up there opinion.
However In my opinion most Greens in the US and particular in Australia are not Java's at all even though paper work supports against this theory and it has fell on many of a deaf ear,
But there are lots of Chinese pheasants in both countries and for me it is more likely that some greens came from China with the pheasants than a dealer/ trapper made a special trip to java for some greens?  You must be pretty naive if you think they would leave behind birds because they weren't from the right country and most would not have known or seen any difference, some of these types are just coming to light now, from these young keen Internet savvy people who may not have seen one in the wild, but after looking at lots of photos and some in the wild which are as good as being there in person and Leo if you have taken any photos of greens there is a good chance he has looked at yours too.
Some parrots have been imported into Australia in the past and put through quarantine in two continents and any half educated bird person could tell they aren't what the paper work says they are and this was only a few years ago not thirty or forty or fifty and parrots are alot easier to Identify than Green sub species. 
I think It is very arrogant to brush off this theory when there are thousands of other birds in captivity from china in these counties.
Ignorance is bliss if you don't want to Know the truth.
Having known many a dealer over the years, it would be far more likely and probable that the dealer touched up the paper work to the birds, as most would not want to give a lead to their source and second, most if not all greens would have been called Java's back then.
In my experience, most people would rather rubbish your birds than give you concrete evidence of facts of why your birds aren't this or that,
I think there are alot of different types of pure greens in captivity and DNA is the only way forward.
I have had some rubbish mine as they are different to theirs but they know full well theres are of mixed lineage. 
I am okay that they may be crosses, but I will wait until they are DNA tested as what if the advice is wrong that was given and I went along and agreed and stuffed the birds I am responsible for, based on others who don't have that type?

As for people looking at photos and compiling lists of types, it is great work and still needs finalizing, I would say, but information is Golden, and if it was not for people like Resolution and his friends and his site with actual photos of wild skins, we would all be further in the dark or at the mercy of experts and them pushing their own barrows.
As I have said before the jury is still out on my birds which it is okay but it will be a great shame on the experts if they are proven to have given false opinions, in their lack of knowledge or hunger for self promotion.
The greater shame will be for all the pure birds out there that are not maintained or qualified professionally and their purity lost through outcrossing and the discrediting of the stock that may lead to the sale or ultimately mismanagement of them.
Aviculture was held in very high esteem 100 years ago but it's not hard to see why it's not any more.
It staggers me that one of these big bird organizations doesn't wake up to themselves and comply DNA and photo work, so all types can be identified and we birdo's can get actual help to sort out the birds held and work together to help preserve these awesome birds,
Rather than leaving Resolution and Friedrich to do all the work at their own expense.


 

 

[MinxFox]

I definately think there could be more than three subspecies. There is so much diversity in just one subspecies that people label as Java or something that it does make you wonder how many subspecies there are exactly. I really really agree that we need a big bird organization to recognize this. As for the keeping of green peafowl, the photos of green peafowl in the wild are so different than some of the green peafowl photos I see in captivity. I think it would benifit people to have pure birds just because of their extreme beauty. Some of the nicest green peafowl are going to be the ones you import from the place of origin or from a breeder who definately has done that. There is a green peafowl stud book here: http://www.pfauenfarm.de/Home-Engli...ook-program-E/pmi-tn-stud-book-program-e.html I think that the stud book is a great idea. Also with all the subspecies of green peafowl it would need to be presented in a simple way so everyone can understand the key differences and such.

 

[Birdienumnums]

These birds in Thailand and now some of the stock is in Germany, I think are excellent and that is a great job been done on that type of Green.
They would have to be one of the nicest looking Greens there is, I would love to buy a few,
But my point is that there are many types and some of them are going to be, if not already lost,
That why it needs to be a combined effort and a stud book with individual identification and stainless rings is critical, with DNA profiling of the founding stock.
It would be okay if we all start again and get new wild stock, but what if some of these types have died out or integrated with IB peafowl in the wild?
Very hard to get some wild ones from Malaysia, and China now might only let you borrow the birds at a large sum of money every year like the Pandas?
My opinion is that there is a large number of birds in captivity and if we had the DNA work sorted we all could check our birds at a reasonable price and work together, sort out and maintain pure lines.
I have been told there are some huge peafowl breeders throughout Asia and it would not surprise me if they had pure Malaysian birds in the aviaries, wouldn't it be great to be able to identify these and others and know for sure what we are feeding and help preserve one of the greatest birds on earth.

 

[Dany12]

The DNA test is a comparison .... where are the reference test for each subspecie ?
For me .... It is modern, but it is an illusion! .... we can dream !
Here is Wolfgang Mennig in Indonesia ( Java ) in search of pure birds.

http://gembiralokazoo.com/post-413-komunitas_pecinta_merak_jerman_gandeng_gembira_loka_zoo

You need a translation !

 

[FrankYLegend]

The information that Resolution has collected over the years suggest there are at least 5 distinct species groups:

Muticus Muticus is part of the Annamensis complex but although they are very closely related they should be considered seperate species.

This is how I would list them (sorry I won't go into much about describing them but I might do this later):
Pavo annamensis complex - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Yunnan China and Thailand (2 subspecies - annamensis and xishuangbannaensis)

• Nominate annamensis of Central Vietnam and Laos and Northwest Cambodia
• annamensis xishuangbannaensis Greater Annamese of Yunnan, North Vietnam and Central Thailand
• Northern Thailand morphotype/Uthai Thani Morphotype - Northern Thailand and east Thailand bordering Cambodia. Intermediate between Imperator and Annamensis.
• Pavo (annamensis) bokorensis Cardamom from Cambodia
• Nominate bokorensis of Cardamom Mountains,
• Pavo muticus from Malaysia and southern Thailand. EXTINCT IN THE WILD; Captive COMPOSITE stock is bred by Wolfgang Mennig
• muticus muticus of Pahang, Malaysia - NOT the same as Pavo javanensis of which it is more distantly related.
• muticus malacense of the Kra Isthmus, has a more glassy colouration similar to annamensis and spicifer. Rumours there are still some in Southern Thailand.

*Pavo javanensis - Endemic to Java

• javanensis - West Java ie. Ujung Kulon National Park
• baluranensis - East Java; Baluran and Alas Purwo NP.
• Bali/Southern race EXTINCT

*Pavo imperator - sympatric distribution with different phenotypes that may appear throughout range. (ie. some nominate and Black River forms have been photographed in Thailand).

• nominate imperator - Now confined to Northern Vietnam around Hanoi. Similar phenotypes in Thailand which are rarely found.
• Siamese siamensis - From Northwest Thailand to West Cambodia it is the most common form of Green Peafowl as it can live in a wider range of habitats compared to the selective habitats of other Green Peafowl. Some variation in its range due to secondary contact with other imperator forms and annamensis.
• cattiensis - morphologically similar to siamensis but has darker plumage like spicifer.
• tonkinensis - Critically endangered/Possibly extinct species of Hue/Tonkin regions of Vietnam into Southern Yunnan and formerly Macau. Red River and Black River races vary. The red river form had a white colour morph. "Macau" Peafowl now refers to high green blood percentage hybrid (Peridot) that have descended primarily from the Macau tonkinensis.
• yunnanensis - Primitive subspecies very similar to spicifer and annamensis. Little is known. Similar birds found in Northeast Thailand in the Isan region (CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THIS, THESE BIRDS MAY SIMPLY HAVE BEEN RELEASED HERE).

*Pavo spicifer complex - from Burma into Thailand (rare)

• Nominate spicifer - Along Northern Irrawady. yangonensis is a similar morphotype found in S. Irrawady.
• tanintharyi aka the Tennasirim/Southern Spicifer - Along Salween river from Shan state to Tenasserim in Burma, Southwest Thailand. Some differences between Shan and Tennaserim birds, but they are likely variation of the same race.
• Pavo arakansis Arakan spicifer - Arakan Yomas of Burma, Tibet and more rarely in parts of Yunnan.
• Pavo assamensis Assamese Dragonbird - Assam, India and Bangladesh. Very similar to the P. imperator cattiensis found in South Vietnam.

Pavo antiqus - Critically endangered species of China and Burma. Larger than other species.

• Nominate antiqus of West Yunnan
• deqenisis of Deqen and other areas of Northwest Yunnan, Sichuan and Burma's Kachin State. Much darker than other Green Peafowl

We should stop being bothered by how "pretty" or "colourful" certain forms are from others. Stop comparing them. Spicifers are sometimes dismissed as "dull hybrids" while hybrids are often taken as spicifer. Tonkin is almost extinct as no conservation work has been done. Right now only Imperator Siamensis and Javanensis forms are most secured in protected areas.

With the focus on Panda conservation and others, Green Peafowl are poorly known in China. They do know there are several phenotypes found in Yunnan but have not published the solid data. Sadly, even some so-called experts mix up Green Peafowl with Indian Peafowl leading to hybrids.

 

[leo7]

Hi
sorry all what you write here is theory !!! and proved by nothing. Go into the jungle in Asia explore the green peacocks in their habitat and then reports, that can not be made at home. In thirty years green peacock breeding have so called EXPERTS me joked a lot.
I believe only what I see myself or experienced.

 

[Faith SL]

Very detailed list FrankYLegend, I have never heard of some of those Greens before. What differences are there between Pavo Muticus and Muticus Muticus mentioned on your list other than Pavo Muticus being extinct in the wild and also from southern Thailand? And I thought Pavo Antiqus was completely extinct - are there still some known to be in the wild or in captivity?