[41] This finding suggests a chase-away sexual selection, in which "females evolve resistance to male ploys". [10], The peak season in southern India is April to May, January to March in Sri Lanka and June in northern India. [30], The American artist Abbott Handerson Thayer tried to show, from his own imagination, the value of the eyespots as disruptive camouflage in a 1907 painting. [61] Peafowl breed readily in captivity and as free-ranging ornamental fowl.
Therefore, the long train is an indicator of good body condition, which results in greater mating success. Their size, colour and shape of crest make them unmistakable within their native distribution range. They are best known for their colorful tail feathers that definitely attract attention. Your contribution will be appreciated to improve our site. The chicks are nidifugous and follow the mother around after hatching.
Peacocks are a larger sized bird with a length from bill to tail of 100 to 115 cm (39 to 45 in) and to the end of a fully grown train as much as 195 to 225 cm (77 to 89 in) and weigh 4–6 kg (8.8–13.2 lb). In the wild, peafowl live in forested areas, as well as farms and agricultural fields.
The male peacock is brightly coloured, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots.
Once mating has occurred the female will find materials to create a nest. [63], In parts of India, the birds can be a nuisance to agriculture as they damage crops.
[6] Downy young are pale buff with a dark brown mark on the nape that connects with the eyes. [62] Methods to identify if feathers have been plucked or have been shed naturally have been developed as Indian law allows only the collection of feathers that have been shed. The Greek word for peacock was taos and was related to the Persian "tavus" (as in Takht-i-Tâvus for the famed Peacock Throne[3]). At night, they fly up into the trees to sleep. [9], Peafowl produce loud calls especially in the breeding season. [10] Around human habitations, they feed on a variety of food scraps and even human excreta.
She showed that the number of eyespots in the train predicted a male's mating success, and this success could be manipulated by cutting the eyespots off some of the male's ornate feathers.
There are three species of this bird. They don’t do well being around various domestic birds including turkeys. These very rarely occur in the wild, but selective breeding has made them common in captivity.