A study on nesting behaviour and egg quality characteristics of free ranging peahen in Tamil Nadu, revealed that the nesting was observed during the months' of January and February. Prosopis bushes were observed to be the preferential nesting habitat. The peahen used dry grasses and dry prosopis twigs as main nestipg materials. The brooding peahen was observed to show more parental care, as tne incubation. period advances, than at beginning. Tne clutch size of peahen eggs ranged from 3 to 6. The mean egg weight, shape index, egg volume and specific gravity of the peafowl egg were 91.9 g, 76.5, 98.8 ml and 0.93, respectively. Moreover, the mean and range of albumen index. yolk index, yolk colour, shell thicklness as well as percentage weights of albumen, yolk and shell of peafowl eggs were measured.
Peahen, nesting behaviour, egg characteristics
