Hobbies And Interests
Tail Feathers
The tail feathers of the male peacock comprise more than 60 percent of the bird's body length. Males arch the feathers into a fan shape that touches the ground of either side of the body. The feathers appear to have "eye" shapes, which dot the entire tail fan. These eyes are blue, red, gold or green. Females choose their mates depending on the size and quality of the tail feathers.
Name
Only males are properly distinguished as peacocks. Females are actually called peahens, and both male and female are called peafowl. Groups of peafowl are called parties. They are classified in the Phasianidae family and the species are Pavo cristatus for the blue peafowl and Pavo muticus for the Java green peafowl. The babies of the peafowl are called peachicks, and chicks who are one year old are called yearlings.
Polygamous
The male peafowl is polygamous. A successful male may have a harem of up to five peahens with which to mate. During mating season, males group together and establish breeding territories close to each other called leks. Females visit the males first before deciding which male she will choose as her mate. After mating, the males and females separate. Peahens lay three to six eggs in nests hidden within vegetation, and the peachicks hatch after 28 to 30 days.
Mythology
Peafowl are the national bird of India. They are sacred in India and the god Kartikeya, the son of Shiva and Parvarti, is depicted riding on a peafowl's back. In Indian folklore, peafowl can charm snakes and confuse their eggs. Ancient Greek mythology explains why peacocks have "eyes" in their feathers. The goddess Hera had a priestess named Io who was admired by Zeus. Zeus transformed Io into a cow but Hera tricked him into giving her the cow. Argus, who had numerous eyes, was chosen to watch over the cow, but Zeus sent Hermes to free the cow. Hermes killed Argus and to honor Argus, Hera placed his eyes on the peacock's tail feathers.
Loud
Peafowl are loud creatures. They have eleven different calls and males are quite vocal. One call sounds like "may-awe, may-awe," according to the San Diego Zoo, and the call carries a long distance to other peafowl. It is used in the early morning, early evening and during mating season. In the wild, the loud noise works well when peafowl spot predators, such as tigers. Peacocks also have good eyesight and such a loud call signals to other birds.
Routine
Peafowl are birds of strict routine. They tend to always follow the same schedule day after day. The birds roost overnight in large groups in tall trees to protect themselves from predators. In the morning, the peafowl divide into smaller groups. A typical day for peafowl includes foraging for food, such as grain, insects and small mammals, preening feathers and resting in the shade. In the evening, peafowl eat, drink water and roost back in the tall trees.