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The
Indian Peafowl is a native of India and Ceylon. Over the years,
it has been introduced to most corners of the world. It has been
bred in places as far removed from its natural habitat as North
America. It is said that peacocks were introduced to Egypt at least
two thousand years before the birth of Christ and that Alexander
the Great transported them to Greece himself - not only for their
beauty, but also for the table! |
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Although commonly called peacocks, this term is property applied
only to the male peafowl. Female peafowl are called peahens. The
correct term for these largest members of the pheasant and turkey
family is peafowl. |
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There are two species of peafowl found in the wild, the Indian Peafowl
and the Green Peafowl. |
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Male peafowl are one of the most strikingly marked and most colorful
of all birds. Peacocks are known for their beautiful fan or "train",
which is opened and displayed by the male to attract the peahen. |
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| These feathers
are actually long extensions of the upper tail covers and
grow up to several feet in length. Each of these long feathers
also has a design near its tip which resembles an eye. These
brilliantly-colored eye spots have intrigued people for years.
The Hindu's have always regarded the peacock with its many
"eyes" as a symbol of the all-seeing Krishna. Others
believe that the eyes have sinister powers or that they are
capable of deflecting and counteracting calamity and malevolence.
Males shed these feathers each year just after the mating
season. |
Peacock feather
showing "eye" |
There is a legend in Greek mythology which describes
how the peacock got its eye spots.
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Peahen |
The feathers
of the peacock are iridescent blue and green. The peahen lacks
the long, showy tall feathers and although colorful, is not
nearly as brilliant as the male. Both sexes also have a crest
of short, erect feathers along the crown of their heads. |
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Peafowl feed on many
different types of food including both plants and small animals.
They seem to be particularly fond of snakes, even poisonous ones!
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Using loud shrieking cries and honks, Peafowl often warn each other
when danger approaches. Calls are also used during the mating season
to attract members of the opposite sex. |
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 Hear the loud honking of a Peafowl! |
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The appalling
voice of the Peafowl has been explained by the following fairy tale:
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Mating usually occurs
during the rainy spring season. The peafowl, who usually live in
small family groups, break up into harems consisting of a single
male and four or five females. It is at this point that the courtship
performance by the male begins. Whenever the peacock sees a peahen,
he raises his long back feathers (supported by his shorter tail
feathers) and fans them out into a magnificent display. If this
exhibition fails to attract his chosen partner's attention, he then
vibrates and shakes his feathers together causing them to rustle.
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After mating occurs,
Peahens usually dig a shallow depression in the ground, hidden beneath
brush or in some other concealed location, and lay from 3 to 5 whitish
eggs. The female incubates the eggs for approximately 28 days. After
hatching, the young peachicks will follow the mother about for protection,
even though they are capable of finding food on their own. |
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The Spanish name for peacock is "pavo
royal" or "royal turkey." If it were not for the
peacock's extraordinary coloring and exceptional train of feathers,
it would look very similar to a turkey!
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