Are female peacocks or males more spectacular and beautiful?

Peacocks can be called one of the most beautiful birds in nature. It is quite strange that they are close relatives of ordinary chickens, because domestic chickens do not have such chic beauty and elaborate plumage as the peacock bird. The description and photo confirm what a unique and very beautiful bird this is.

Common peacock (Pavo cristatus)

Peacocks belong to the pheasant family, order Galliformes. These creatures with a painted fan-shaped tail are also the largest representatives of their order.

Female common peacock

What does a peacock look like?

Surely, each of us has encountered this wonderful bird at least once in our lives, if not in nature, then certainly in the zoo.

The length of the peacock reaches 125 centimeters, and its wonderful tail is, on average, 120 - 150 centimeters. At the same time, peacocks weigh about 4.5 kilograms.

Elements of peacock plumage

Of course, the most attractive thing about these birds is their plumage. The body pattern of male peacocks is especially varied: the head and neck are painted in a rich blue tint, the dorsal part is golden with a greenish tint, and the wing plumage is bright orange. Well, just a real rainbow! Females have more sparse feather color, often dark brown.

Ocellated tail feathers

The bird has an elegant crest on its head; from the outside it looks as if someone had put a crown with bells on the bird. The tail part of the animal's body is divided into tail feathers and the so-called uppertail. It is on them that the gaze of others stops, because they give a chic, truly royal, look to this bird. Each “fan” is decorated with an “eye” that has a beautiful multi-colored pattern. How beautiful peacocks are!

Peacocks often perch on the lower branches of trees.

Green, Javan peacock

A species of Asian birds living in Thailand, India, Malaysia, and Indochina. The head is covered with brown feathers with a greenish tint; a slightly bluish tint appears next to the eyes. The body is green-blue, with yellow and reddish splashes. These peacocks have a very large body, long legs and a specific voice.

Peculiarities:

• the body grows up to 3 m;
• wing length – 0.5-0.6 m;
• tail feathers reach 1.6 m.

Important! Green peacocks tolerate frost well, so they can live in the temperate climate zone.

The green peacock has several subspecies.

1. Javanese. Homeland: Malaysia, Java island. It is distinguished by its scaly, green color with a metallic tint. Blue spots are visible on the wings.
2. Indo-Chinese. Lives in the territory of the same name. It is distinguished by blue down around the eyes and a bright green neck.
3. Burmese. Lives in Burma. Pale color with bluish feathers on the neck, giving off a metallic sheen in the sun. The head and wings are darker.

What is the character of peacocks, and how do they behave in nature?

Scientists have noticed an interesting phenomenon in these birds: before it starts to rain, they like to scream, and their sound is less like a bird’s chirping, and more like the sharp cry of a cat whose tail was accidentally crushed.

The mating behavior of males is original

Wild peacocks choose forest areas or bushes to live. These birds will never settle in open areas or in too densely growing wilds.

Characteristics of birds

You can meet these majestic birds in zoos and protected areas around the world. Their natural habitat is dense thickets and forested areas, but the birds were domesticated several thousand years ago, which allowed farmers to begin breeding birds of paradise.

Flying peacock

Types of peacocks

There is a greater variety of bird colors. Despite the fact that they all belong to the same family, only some of them are preferred to be raised in captivity.

Table No. 1. Varieties of birds.

How to distinguish a female peacock from a male: step-by-step instructions

Step 1: The first step is to look at the birds' plumage. After all, in females (peahens) it is pale compared to males. Most often, gray-brown feathers can be found on their body, and colored feathers are found only near the wings (the color depends on the breed).

The modest color allows the female to hide from predators in the thickets

Step 2: you need to look at the tail of the birds, because only in males it looks like a bright fan, and in “girls” it is almost invisible.

In addition to a chic tail, males have an expressive crest on their heads.

Step 3: It is important to pay attention to the size of the body - males are always heavier and larger. This feature makes it possible to distinguish chicks that lack permanent plumage.

Even among the baby peacocks you can find males because they are larger

Reproduction and hatching of chicks

The breeding season for peacocks lasts from April to September. The mating game of males looks very fascinating and colorful. To attract a female, the male peacock opens his wonderful painted tail and walks around, showing off himself in all his glory. But as soon as the female shows this “groom” that he is interested in her, the male immediately changes his tactics. He turns away and pretends as if he doesn’t need anything from the female. This “confrontation” continues for some time until, finally, the couple comes together for fertilization.

After the female becomes interested, the peacock... turns away sharply, as if he wants to hide his beauty

In general, male peacocks are very polygamous. They recruit a whole “mini-harem”, which consists of three to five females. Each female lays from 4 to 10 eggs as a result of fertilization. After about a month, small chicks are born, they are covered with soft gray fluff. Although they hatch very tiny, they grow very quickly. Three years after birth, the chicks become fully mature individuals and are already able to begin breeding themselves.

Types of breeds

The image of a peacock is familiar to almost every person from childhood. These birds tend to be sedentary and although they fly quite well, they still prefer to spend a significant part of their time on the ground. These birds feed on mixed food, not disdaining mollusks, lizards and small snakes. Before the mating season begins, males grow long tails. The male uses his tail for several purposes:

• to attract the attention of females;
• for the purpose of scaring away small predators;
• This is how he shows superiority over his competitors.

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However, after the mating season, males often molt and are indistinguishable from females. It is worth noting that Asian peacock species are polygamous.

Individuals prefer to nest in the thicket of the forest, and lay no more than 10 eggs. They hatch them for about a month, and the chicks themselves, within a few hours after hatching, can follow their parents in search of food.

They also make nests in other conditions: on stumps, spreading trees, and even between rocks. The number of eggs in a clutch is no more than 4, but more often 1-2 pieces. The female incubates the eggs for 27 to 29 days and during this entire time the male remains nearby, guarding the female and the clutch. He leaves only to get food.

It is worth noting that only the following species live in their natural habitat:

• green (Javanese, Burmese, Indochinese);
• blue or ordinary Indian;
• African.

Each of these species has its own habitats and has several color forms.

If we continue the topic of species diversity, then all domestic breeds of peacocks were obtained through the process of breeding.

Common (Indian)

The Indian common peacock is the most numerous species and has no subspecies. As the name suggests, their homeland is India, but they can still be seen in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, color mutations are still inherent in this variety. This is due to the fact that the bird was kept in captivity for a long time and, of course, succumbed to artificial selection.

This breed has unusually beautiful plumage:

• their head, neck and chest are blue in color, which shimmers with green or gold;
• the back is blue-green, with a steely sheen;
• tail feathers are brownish, rump feathers are bright green with a bronze tint;
• the rump ends with fans decorated with black eyes.

Males also have the following characteristics:

• weight about 4.5 kg;
• body length with tail – 180 cm;
• the length of the uppertail feathers can also reach 180 cm.

The female is somewhat smaller and more modest in color. Its body is about a meter in length, the head and throat area on the sides are white, and the bottom of the neck and the top of the chest and back are gray-green or brownish-greenish. The rest of its plumage is endowed with a brownish, even earthy color.

White (albino)

Despite the popular belief that the white peacock is an albino, this is not the case.

In addition, such birds have blue eyes, while all albinos have red eyes due to the complete absence of melanin. Snow-white peacocks have been known since the 18th century and have been discovered in the natural environment. Since then they have been successfully bred in captivity.

White peacock chicks have a white-yellowish color and until 2 years old it is almost impossible to distinguish a male from a female. The only sign is the length of the legs (the male has longer limbs). After puberty, the male develops a beautiful long tail feather. At the ends of the tail feathers, the yellowish pattern of the eyes appears rather faintly.

Congolese (African)

The African or Congo peacock was previously considered related to the genus of Asian birds. However, over time, certain differences emerged, which contributed to their separation into a separate type.

They can only be found in the forests of Zaire, in the bed of the Congo River.

The appearance of the birds is as follows:

• body length: for males – 64-70 cm, for females – 60-63 cm;
• birds have no plumage on the head, and the throat area is colored red;
• on the head there is a crest of erect feathers (light in the male, brown-chestnut in the female);
• body plumage: in the male it is bronze-green with a purple edging, in the female it is green with a metallic tint);
• the long legs of birds have one spur;
• the beak is gray with a blue tint.

As already mentioned, the Congolese peacock is a monogamous bird.

The green Javan peacock lives in southeast Asia: Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, southern China, and also on the island of Java.

The description of the Javan peacock is as follows:

• brighter color than the blue Indian peacock (green shades predominate);
• larger sizes in comparison with relatives (the largest variety);
• his voice is a little softer than that of other peacock representatives;
• his crest is lowered, and his tail is flat and somewhat elongated.

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Females can also be aggressive when caring for their young. The Javan peacock can be crossed with an Indian relative, and their offspring will be capable of further reproduction.

The red peacock is the same African peacock mentioned above, living in the region, called because of the bright reddish color of the neck and the red-bronze tint of the greenish plumage. Nevertheless, selection is in full swing, and based on this species in captivity, breeds with more rich and interesting colors are obtained.

Royal

The situation is similar with royal peacocks. Thus, in India, Thailand and Vietnam, white peacocks are called. Due to their distinctive and extraordinary coloration, these birds often became inhabitants of royal gardens.

The peacock is an extremely beautiful bird, revered in many cultures. In Asia, they are especially revered not only for their appearance, but also for their ability to warn of the approach of danger, rain or a predator with sharp and loud cries. And in some other cultures they are even considered a witchcraft bird. But one thing is clear - peacocks do not leave anyone indifferent.

The peacock is considered the most beautiful bird among the representatives of the Galliformes order. And his beauty lies in his beautiful bright tail, which he can fan out. Moreover, all the peacock’s tail feathers are decorated with multi-colored “eyes” at the end. The peacock’s head is also decorated with a beautiful crest, which seems to resemble a crown with bells.

www.zoo-ekzo.ru – Exotic animals

Black-shouldered peacock (pavo cristatus nigripennis)

Class - birds

Order - Galliformes

Family - pheasants

Genus - peacocks

Is a subspecies of the common peacock

Appearance

Body length 100-125 cm, tail 40-50 cm, elongated tail feathers decorated with “eyes” 120-160 cm. The male weighs 4-4.25 kg.

A characteristic feature of the male is the strong development of the upper coverts, which are mistaken for the tail.

The head, neck and part of the chest are blue, the back is green, and the lower body is black. The female is smaller, more modestly colored and does not have elongated tail feathers.

It differs from the common peacock in its black wing coverts and flight feathers, which have a bluish tint. The female is lighter than the female common peacock.

Habitat

Not found in the wild.

Reproduction

Polygamous bird: the male lives with a group of 3-5 females. Reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years. The breeding season is from April to September. Lays 4-10 eggs directly on the ground, in captivity makes up to three clutches per year. The incubation period for eggs is 28 days. The chicks grow quickly and after three weeks it is possible to distinguish males from females. Males have brick-colored wing feathers, while females have brown tail feathers. A young male from one to 1.5 years old wears an outfit similar to that of the female, and typical adult feathers are fully developed only at the age of three years.

Life expectancy is about 20 years.

Captivity

Keeping peacocks on farms in central Russia, in particular in the Moscow region, does not present any great difficulties. This happens because peacocks, despite their southern origin, have long been acclimatized in central Russia.

First, you need to decide what you ultimately want to see in your life:

Peacocks roaming freely throughout your property.

Have peacocks, but in a separate beautiful enclosure.

Organize a small farm for breeding peacocks and producing beautiful peacock feathers.

Let's say you have decided, regardless of the picture that you have imagined, you will still need to meet several general conditions.

Firstly, it is necessary to allocate or build a room for winter maintenance, overnight accommodation and shelter from bad weather (rain, snow, hail). Let me explain: when it rains, especially in autumn, your pet’s gorgeous tail will drag along the dirty ground, grass, paths, etc., eventually turning into a dirty broom. And then the peacock will always prefer to take shelter from bad weather rather than get wet in the rain. In addition, the room is necessary to place feeders and drinking bowls in them, so that the peacocks do not once again approach the pool, dog bowls, etc. What can this room be built from? Experience shows that it is best to use wood for these purposes, but any building material can be used. The most important thing is that there are no two problems in the room: draft and dampness. The height of the room can, in principle, be any, but it is more desirable and convenient to make the height about 2-2.5 m. Now we have come close to the temperature inside this room. The fact is that the body of peacocks can tolerate fairly low temperatures; for example, my peacocks spent the night in the open air, despite the opportunity to take shelter indoors when the thermometer showed -28 degrees. But this does not mean that peacocks do not need premises at all. NEEDED! And you will have to take this as an axiom.

And a little about the appearance, optimal dimensions and internal arrangement. The appearance of the room for peacocks depends entirely on the imagination and desire of the owner. You can stylize it as a hut on chicken legs, if it is a log house, or a medieval castle, or just a country barn, as you like.

Now the internal view. Inside the peacock garden, it is necessary to pay attention to several problems:

The walls should be smooth inside, no nails or insulation (tow, polystyrene foam, URSA, glass wool) should stick out of them. Peacocks love to taste all this. If the walls are made of stone material, then it is advisable to plaster them inside. If they are made of round timber, timber and other wooden material, then the inside is lined with plywood.

The floor, both in a wooden and in a stone room, is made of edged, unplaned boards! There is no need to spend money and buy planed boards, much less floorboards, this is not technologically justified.

Inside the room you need to do two things: a perch, which is a long round stick that runs along the entire length of the room along or across. It is mounted at a height of at least 1.5 m from the floor. It is best to use soft wood for these purposes: linden, pine, etc.

A hole for peacocks to leave the room. The size of the hole is approximately 35x35 cm and for convenience it is made directly at the bottom of the door at a distance of 10-12 cm from the bottom edge of the same door. But the hole can be located on the opposite side of the front door as you like. All this depends on specific conditions.

Nests are made in the barn. River sand and fine gravel are poured into the enclosure, which are necessary for normal digestion of peacocks. Also, ash “baths” are built in the enclosure. There must be fresh water in the enclosure.

Although peacocks are considered granivores, up to 30–40% of the grain feed in their diet can be replaced in wet mash with boiled potatoes. It’s good to add chopped fresh herbs here. In winter and early spring, when there is no green food, hay flour or dust, as well as grated vegetables, are added to the mash. They are fed twice a day, and three times during the breeding season. In winter, sprouted grain is given in the morning. A peacock eats about 200g of concentrates per day, and 400g of fresh greens.

Origin and domestication of the peacock

Peacocks, due to their beautiful appearance, have been bred by humans since ancient times. Several countries may challenge the domestication of this bird. Thus, some sources attribute the first domesticated peacocks to India, where the bird is sacred and often appears in images along with the Buddha.

In 1963, the peacock was even recognized as the national bird of India. However, the peacock is also found in the mythology of Ancient Greece, as the favorite bird of the goddess Hera.

The Greeks kept male peacocks as a symbol of power and wealth. At the same time, the much more practical Romans bred peacocks for the purpose of eating their meat. According to historical data, there were times when there were even more peacocks in Rome than quails.

From ancient Rome, peacocks spread to the European continent. Among early Christians, birds were considered a symbol of Christ's resurrection. In the 19th century, peacocks were brought by humans to North and South America. Some species have gone wild and are found in nature today.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Considered exotic birds, peacocks and peahens most often live in warm climates. India is called the homeland of birds.

Peacocks prefer to settle in dense thickets - in jungles and forests, on the banks of rivers with lush vegetation. This is explained by the fact that females raise and protect their offspring, and therefore must be able to quickly take refuge with the chicks in case of danger.

Peacocks and their friends have long lived in the wild. In accordance with this, the food preferences of the representatives of the species were formed.

Favorite food of peacocks:

• young shoots of plants;
• various grains;
• berries and fruits;
• various insects.

In the wild, peacocks live in China and India, Bangladesh and Thailand. Exotic birds living in natural conditions are diurnal. At night, these birds sleep in the foliage of trees.

The lifespan of peacocks living in nature reaches 20 years and does not depend on the sex of the bird.

Types of peacocks and peahens

Most species of animals and birds are divided into breeds. The peacock genus is an exception. The species is not divided into subspecies, that is, it is monotypic. However, ornithologists often distinguish groups based on color or habitat.

The first group includes the African peacock. This type of bird is considered the rarest. Representatives of this subspecies do not like noise and crowds of people, so they prefer quiet, remote corners to live. Main characteristics of the breed:

• small dimensions;
• head without feathers;
• brown-gray skin;
• neck in bright colors;
• tail plumage is black;
• the wings and back area are painted in emerald tones.

The absence of too bright colors and long tail feathers are the main distinguishing features of African peacocks. Representatives of the subspecies are characterized by the presence of so-called spurs; in males they are longer than in females.

The second group is Javan peacocks. Representatives of this subspecies do not have long tail feathers. Females are smaller than males. Additionally, the head of the Javan peahen is colored in iridescent brownish-green colors. The crest and lower part of the neck are emerald tones. Males are distinguished by a chic tail, the length of which reaches two meters.

The third famous species is the common peacock. The most common group. Male representatives of this species are quite large. Main characteristics of males:

• body up to 1 meter long;
• brown color;
• the plumage on the neck has a blue tint;
• wings of three colors - orange, blue and spotted (from bottom to top).

Peahens are characterized by the following traits:

• dark brown or brown color;
• lack of bright plumage;
• emerald-colored neck;
• smaller in size than the male.

Reasons for the bright plumage of the male

So, the bright color of the male’s plumage is the very way to attract the attention of his peahen friend. This is one of the tricks to get as many offspring as possible. In this way, males try to demonstrate beauty, strength and health.

The bright plumage of peacocks can also be explained by the mating behavior of males . Sometimes they fight with rivals in order to push them away from their chosen one. At this moment, the female watches the whole action from the side. But the main thing begins only later. At this moment, you can observe how the male, spreading his tail, demonstrates to his friend all his power and beauty. After the female makes her choice and mating is completed, you can see how the male sheds his marvelous train. Before the new mating season begins, its rump grows back.

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Previously, people collected these feathers and traded them. However, this fishing is currently prohibited. This is done so that the extermination of this beautiful bird can be avoided.

Another reason for the brighter color of the male is the way he can take the hit, becoming bait for a predator. This allows him to protect the peahen and future offspring. It should be noted that males are polygamous by nature. Peahens are capable of laying an average of 5 to 7 eggs at a time.