A peacock is a type of bird that is known for its large, colorful tail feathers. The peacock is the national bird of India and is a symbol of grace, joy, beauty and love. Peacocks have been admired by people for thousands of years for their spectacular plumage.
What Does a Peacock Look Like?
Peacocks are most recognized by the male’s extravagant tail feathers called a “train.” This train is made up of elongated uppertail coverts that can be over 5 feet long! The train feathers have blue and green shades with eye-like markings called ocelli. When a peacock spreads its train into a distinctive fan shape, it is one of the most impressive sights in the animal kingdom.
In addition to the train, peacocks have bright blue necks and chests with a green lower body. Peahens (females) are not as vibrantly colored, with duller brown and green feathers and lacking a long train. Still, they can be recognized by their crest atop the head and green neck feathers.
Unique Traits of Peacocks
Here are some interesting facts about what makes peacocks unique:
- Their train feathers can number over 200 and make up about 60 percent of the peacock’s total body length.
- Peacock tail feathers have tiny light-reflecting cells that give them their iridescent, shimmering colors.
- The spots on their train feathers are thought to mimic eyes, which may help scare away predators.
- In addition to their calls, peacocks can rattle their quills as a shaking sound to threaten predators.
- The peacock’s train is so big that it prevents it from being able to fly well, so they spend most of their time on the ground.
- Peahens are selective when choosing mates, generally preferring peacocks with the biggest, most colorful plumage.
- Peacock tail feathers take about 1-2 years to fully grow back if shed or lost.
Where Do Peacocks Live?
Peacocks are found naturally living in the forests of India and Sri Lanka. However, they now exist around the world as ornamental birds. You may find peacocks roaming parks or zoos in many countries.
Peacocks prefer forest edges, woodland areas, and semi-open habitats like scrub jungle. They need some dense vegetation to take cover but also open spaces to display their plumage. Peacocks live alongside peahens in small groups called parties.
What Do Peacocks Eat?
Peacocks are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal materials. Their diet in the wild consists of:
- Seeds
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Flower petals and buds
- Insects
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
They use their strong beaks to crack open nuts and dig up roots and bulbs. Peacocks also drink water frequently when it is available to them.
Peacock Behavior
Here are some interesting behavioral traits and habits of peacocks:
- Peacocks roost on trees at night and forage on the ground during the day.
- In the presence of a predator, peacocks may flatten their train against the ground and run away.
- Peacocks have interesting communal displays where they gather in a group and present their plumage together.
- The peacock’s train shaking display and loud calls are used to attract peahens during mating season.
- Mother peahens build nests on the ground in hidden areas and lay 3-8 eggs at a time.
- Peacock chicks can walk and leave the nest shortly after hatching to follow their mother.
- The peacock’s famous tail feathers take 3-4 years to fully develop in males.
Why Do Peacocks Have Such Big, Colorful Tails?
The peacock’s elaborate and vivid tail feathers developed through sexual selection over time. As peahens selected mates with the brightest, largest plumage, these traits were passed down and exaggerated in each generation. The huge fan-like train serves no purpose for flight but gives peacocks an advantage in attracting mates.
When a peacock displays his train, it signals to peahens that he is healthy, vigorous, and able to survive with such cumbersome tail feathers. The iridescent colors, decorative eyespots, and shaking movements also stimulate and excite peahens.
How Do Peacocks Use Their Trains?
Male peacocks use their train in intricate mating rituals. When a peacock spots a peahen, he will initially display just part of his train to garner her interest. If she seems receptive, he will turn around to fully reveal the massive colorful feathers while vigorously shaking them to captivate her. The peacock will strut around in front of the peahen while positioning his train to show off the highly decorative eyespots.
This visual display is paired with loud vocal calls to further attract the peahen. If she crouches down submissively, copulation may take place. After mating, the peacock will usually move on to find other peahens to impress with his feathers.
Why Do Peacocks Make Loud Calls?
Male peacocks produce loud, piercing calls that can be heard up to a mile away! These vocalizations serve several purposes:
- To attract peahens during courtship displays
- To call peahens over from afar to view their plumage
- To announce their presence and ownership of territory
- To intimidate rival males from their area
So the loud peacock cries advertise the male’s presence both for attraction of mates and warning competing males away. The calls essentially say “Here I am, look at me!” to the peahens and “This area is mine, stay away!” to rival peacocks.
Do Peahens Have Trains Too?
No, peahens (female peafowl) do not have long trains like the males. They have drab, camouflaged plumage in shades of brown, green, gray and white. This allows them to blend into the environment while incubating eggs and raising young.
Without a showy train, peahens don’t need to attract mates. Instead, they carefully evaluate males and their displays during courtship. Rather than invest energy in bright coloring, peahens devote resources to producing and caring for eggs.
How Many Eggs Does a Peahen Lay?
Peahens lay a clutch of 3-8 eggs at a time. The eggs are lightly colored with a creamy or greenish tint. Peahens build ground nests lined with twigs, grass and leaves to incubate the eggs for about 28 days until hatching.
Mother peahens raise the young chicks on their own without the males. The chicks, called peachicks, can walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching but stay near mom for protection. Both male and female chicks initially resemble the duller peahen plumage until the males start to develop their bright colors around 3 years old.
Where Did Peacocks Originate?
Peacocks are native to the dense forests of India and Sri Lanka originally. They hold great cultural significance in these regions. In Hinduism, the peacock is associated with the goddess Lakshmi. Peacock motifs are common in Indian and Southeast Asian art, architecture and textiles.
Peacocks were introduced by humans to other parts of the world like Europe, the Americas and Australia. They thrive in warm habitats and have both naturalized populations from releases and captive ornamental flocks.
Are Peacocks Aggressive?
Peacocks are generally not aggressive birds. Males may show territorial behavior and confrontations with other males during breeding season, but they rarely come to blows. The displays and loud calls are usually enough to ward off intruders.
If threatened by predators like large cats, peacocks may try to intimidate them by fanning their impressive trains, hissing, and making loud alarm calls. But they will usually flee on foot if pressed to a fight. The primary defenses of peacocks are camouflage and avoidance.
Why Do Peacocks Fan Their Feathers?
Male peacocks fan their splendid trains for several reasons:
- Mate Attraction – Fanning displays are used in courtship to impress peahens.
- Territoriality – Displays warn rival males away.
- Preening – Fanning exposes feathers so they can be cleaned and maintained.
- Heat Dissipation – Posturing allows heat loss on hot days.
- Intimidation – Fanned feathers may scare some predators.
So both mating behavior and practical considerations lead peacocks to showcase their feathers. But the primary function is always to flaunt their colors in a way that captivates peahens.
How Do Peacocks Care for Their Feathers?
Male peacocks dedicate a great deal of time to caring for their elaborate plumage. Their preening ritual to clean and condition their feathers includes:
- Spreading feathers wide and angling them to remove dirt or parasites.
- Flexing feathers individually while running them through the bill to distribute oil.
- Shaking feathers and wiggling them into place.
- Lightly biting off any damaged or disarrayed portions.
- Rubbing against trees or brush to massage feathers.
- Bathing in water or dust to work dirt out of the plumage.
Proper preening keeps the feathers supple and aligned for the greatest visual impact. It also removes anything that would dull the shimmering colors.
Do Peacocks Lose Their Feathers?
Yes, peacocks moult and replace their plumage each year after the breeding season. The long tail feathers may take 1-2 years to regrow fully. Peacocks generally shed the train feathers from the outer edges first, working their way into the center.
This gradual moulting process ensures male peacocks are never completely without their trains. They can still keep some decorative feathers on display even when rebuilding their plumage after shedding the previous year’s feathers.
How Do Peacocks Sleep?
Peacocks are diurnal birds that are active during the day. At night, they sleep roosting up in trees. This keeps them safe from many ground predators.
On the roost, they tuck their feet beneath them and fluff out their feathers for insulation and to hold in body heat. They wrap their head and train back around to cover their feet. This compact posture helps retain heat and protects the vulnerable feathered train.
Peacocks tend to choose the same roosting trees each night. Many will congregate in one area. If disturbed, they may abandon their roost for several nights until they feel it’s safe again.
Are Peacocks Loud at Night?
Peacocks are generally quiet at night while sleeping. Their vocalizations and calls occur largely during the daytime as they interact and display.
However, loud peacock calls can sometimes be heard at night or in the early morning hours before dawn. This may function to announce the male peacock’s location to any peahens in the area before he flies down at daybreak.
What Eats Peacocks? Predators and Threats
The flashy plumage that makes peacocks so gorgeous to humans also puts them at risk of being eaten. Their bright colors stand out, making them easy to spot by predators.
Peacocks face threats from animals like:
- Large cats – Tigers, leopards, lions
- Large birds of prey – Hawks, eagles, owls
- Wild dogs
- Foxes
- Snakes
When confronted, peacocks seek refuge in dense vegetation or tall trees. They may flatten their train to be less visible. If caught in the open, they can run up to 10 mph and fly short distances to escape.
How Long Do Peacocks Live?
In the wild, peacocks typically live about 10-15 years. With predators, accidents, and diseases, few will reach the upper end of their lifespan.
Under human care in captivity, peacocks enjoy a longer life of 15-25 years in most cases. With proper housing, nutrition, and medical care, peacocks can live for decades in zoos or as pets.
The oldest known captive peacock lived to the ripe old age of 37 years!
Conclusion
Peacocks are amazing birds that have captivated human fascination for centuries with their spectacular beauty. Their huge, colorful trains seem almost too outrageous to be real! These unique birds exhibit many interesting qualities and habits as well, from their ostentatious displays to their distinctive loud calls.
Getting to observe and learn about incredible animals like peacocks is a joy. Hopefully this explanation gave you a better understanding of what makes peacocks such remarkable creatures. Their stunning feathers certainly brighten up any environment they inhabit!