Threat to the peafowl: india's national bird

More than 44 Indian peafowl ( Pavo cristatus) died in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka between April 16 and 21, 2026. The incidence was first reported on April 16, and over the span of a week, 44 peacocks (adult and sub adults) were found dead under mysterious circumstances. At the first instance it was thought to be due to heat stress, as Karnataka was in the grip of severe heat wave. But surprisingly it appeared to be very alarming when the samples of trachea, cloacal swabs, and viscera collected from the dead peacocks sent to ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed H5N1 avian influenza, clade 2.3.4.4b as the cause of death on 28 April 20261. H5N1 avian influenza, is a strain of bird flu that has been causing several outbreaks across the world since last few years.