Malverean Crimson-crested Peacock Species in Altaros | World Anvil
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Malverean Crimson-crested Peacock

The Malverean Crimson-crested Peacock, or just Malverean peacock, was an isolated tropical subspecies of peacock that inhabited the island of Malvere before The Turbulence. It went extinct shortly after the first pioneers from Madovar began to inhabit the island.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Peacock's feathers were mostly greenish blue, apart from the red crest on its head and longer decorative tail feathers of same crimson color. The wings also had a row of fiery orange flying feathers. The legs were featherless and dark grey and it had suprisingly sharp talons. The Malverean peacock wasn't the biggest bird, but it had a flashy colouring to attract mates and a singing voice which was regarded as the most beautiful birdsong in the whole world by some ancient poets.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The diet of the peacock consisted of mostly fruits but it seems that if food was scarce, it could also resort to hunting smaller birds, rodents and other small vertebrates like frogs and salamanders.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Peacock's feathers were priced by both the natives of the area of The Maiden's Belt archipelago and the settlers who came from Madovar and built the first human settlement on the island. The feathers were traded with the merchants and they fetched a high price, often alike to that of pearls. Especially those few longer decorative tail feathers were much sought after.

Civilization and Culture

Common Myths and Legends

The Malverean peacock, or simply just a peacock, is the star of an old legend The Peacock's Sacrifice, or How the Human Pantheon was born. As the peacock in the legend sacrifices itself for the greater good, coincidentally the Malverean peacock is also extinct nowadays. That probably wasn't the case when the legend was recorded, though, and they must have been plentiful on the island of Malvere and  in the area of The Maiden's Belt archipelago.
EXTINCT
Conservation Status
There are several reasons for the extinction of the Malverean peacock: unlimited hunting by the settlers due to the bird's beautiful plumage, but also the diseases and domestic animals the settlers brought in, which killed many peacocks that had no natural resistance nor had they learned to fear domestic cats or dogs.
Geographic Distribution

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