Peacocks is a more common term for a gorgeous bird that is called Peafowl.  These beautiful birds belong to the Phasianidae family and are easily identified by their bright blue metallic necks and remarkable eye-spotted tail feathers that they are so proud to show off during the mating season.

There are not too many species of peafowl.   Only four main species exist; the Indian peafowl, the Congo peafowl, the Green peafowl, and the white peafowl that has albinism.

Peahens are pretty dull in their appearance.  They don’t have flamboyant tail feathers and can only boast with a little bit of metallic green around their necks.  Peacocks on the other hand are quite impressive.

Peacocks are usually kept for their beauty and their piercing calls.  Even though humans can eat them, they are not bred as food but rather as a pet to combat pests or to brighten up a garden.

What Do Peacocks Eat?

Peafowls are omnivores which mean they eat both plant and animal matter.  Like all other omnivores, they do consume a rather wide variety of foods.  Here is a quick look at the top foods these birds enjoy eating.

Plants

Peafowl love to eat plants.  Plants are their main food source.  They will peck at all sorts of plants and enjoy eating various parts of plants such as flower petals, seed heads, soft leaves, and even soft roots.  These proud birds enjoy eating grasses, Lucerne, leafy greens, and many other plants found in your garden.

Insects

Peafowl love to catch and eat insects.  Insects like crickets, grasshoppers, earthworms, mealworms, maggots, beetles, ants, termites, and just about any other insect they can find while scratching in the soil is a valuable source of protein for these birds.

Reptiles

Peafowl is quite large and they have long sharp talons that they can use to kick and kill smaller animals.  These birds are quite fierce and can easily overpower and catch small lizards.  Peafowl will eat any small reptile they can find with acceptance to turtles that might be hard to eat due to their hard shells.

Amphibians

Amphibians are no match for the sharp beak and the lightning-fast reflexes of peafowl.  These quick birds enjoy eating frogs and salamanders that they catch on land or lingering in shallow waters.

Game feed pellets

You can also offer your peafowl game feed pellets.  These foods are especially good in wintertime when there might not be as many natural foods available.  Game breeder feeds contain lots of protein that peafowl needs to stay healthy and strong.

Grains

Peafowl also enjoys eating grains.  They enjoy eating a variety of grains but are especially fond of corn and wheat.  They might also eat oats or other grains that they find in crops or that they might find in the bowls of your other pets.

Fruits and vegetables

These birds also enjoy eating a wide range of tasty fruits and vegetables.  They are fond of sweet or sour fruits like apples, berries, pawpaws, grapes, strawberries, mangoes, and just about any other fruit they can find.  They also enjoy various vegetables such as green beans, peas, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, and many others. You can also offer your peafowl some cooked and cooled veggies such as pumpkin or sweet potato.

Pet food

Peafowl can be quite annoying around pet bowls because they love to eat pet kibble food.  Foods like a dog or cat kibble are very tasty foods that they can easily gobble down since they do have rather large mouths.

Diet Variation

Peafowl will eat almost anything including table scraps.  They might even eat human foods that contain lots of spices and sugar that might not be good for their health.  Ideally, you should try to keep them away from your trash cans to keep them healthy.

How To Feed Peacocks?

These large birds are not too friendly.  They usually don’t like to be touched but can get quite tame.  They might even come close if they see you eating a tasty sandwich.  Peafowl is very easy to feed since they have such diverse diets.  Ideally, they should be allowed to graze for natural foods in the garden.  You can also supplement them with daily game pellets, grains, or fruits and vegetables.

What Do Peacocks Eat In the Wild?

Peafowl does still live in the wild in forest trees and other parts of the world.  In the wild, they rely on plants, insects, and small animals like frogs and lizards to survive.  They might also feed on wild berries if they find these in their natural environment.

What Do Peacocks Eat in Captivity?

In captivity, these birds are usually kept in gardens where they can feed on natural garden plants and insects.  They are also offered supplementary foods like cereal, grains, pellet foods, or other pet foods to keep them healthy.

What do Baby Peacocks Eat?

Baby peafowl is called peachicks and they can be quite timid when they are still young.  Peachicks need to learn to forage for their own food within 3 – 4 days.  During the first 24 – 48 hours, they survive on the nutrients they receive when they absorb their yolk sacks before hatching.  Their mother stays close to their side and helps them find all sorts of foods such as insects, seeds, grains, and berries.

Peachicks can also be offered chopped leafy greens, grain meal, cooked and cooled vegetables, chopped fruits, small insects, or even hard-boiled eggs to boost them during their first few days.

How Much Do Peacocks Eat?

These birds spend most of their time grazing on natural plant life.  They should have access to fresh water and need to feed a variety of foods every day.  Most pet owners supplement their peafowl with a small handful of pellet feeds or corn every day to keep them healthy.

How Often Do Peacocks Eat?

Peafowl can eat all day if they like.  They spend many hours looking for insects and food and also spend the hottest time of the day napping in the shade.  Most pet owners choose to offer them one supplementary meal early in the morning or in the afternoon.

Do Peacocks Eat Snakes?

Yes, peafowl can attack and eat snakes.  They are quite fast and know how to avoid getting bitten.  They do however only focus on small snakes and will flee if they encounter a snake that is too large.

Do Peacocks Eat Fish?

Yes, peafowl can use their senses and fast speed to locate and catch small fish in shallow waters.  This is however not a very common food source for these beautiful birds.

Do Peacocks Eat Meat?

Peafowl does consume meat.  They catch lizards, amphibians, and sometimes even small animals like mice.  They need protein to help them stay healthy.

Do Peacocks Eat Bread?

Peafowl is quite fond of grains.  They will also eat bread if they find it.  A little bit of bread as an occasional treat is perfectly safe for these birds but they shouldn’t eat too much bread.