White Peafowl Pair

A White peafowl pair is the result of a genetic mutation of India Blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus). The mutation is called leucism and results in the loss of color in the plumage. All-white peafowl are the rarest of all varieties.

A peafowl pair consists of a mature male, or peacock, and a mature female, or peahen. An interesting aspect of leucistic peacocks is that they don’t hatch white. The peachicks, instead, start out with pale yellow down, eventually turning iridescent white as they mature.

Although albino peafowl exists, they are even rarer than the leucistic variety. Both are the result of a recessive gene, but while albinism is a complete loss of pigment, leucism results in only a partial loss of pigment.

Unlike albinism, leucism affects only feather color, but not the color of the eyes or skin. A White peafowl pair has natural eye color, usually blue, and naturally pigmented skin. By contrast, an albino has pink eyes and pink skin.