![]() Optical interference Bragg reflections, based on regular, periodic nanostructures of the barbules (fiber-like components) of the feathers, produce the peacock's colours. Iridescence and structural colouration įurther information: Iridescence and Structural colourationĪs with many birds, vibrant iridescent plumage colours are not primarily pigments, but structural colouration. Research has suggested that changes in mature birds are due to a lack of estrogen from old or damaged ovaries, and that male plumage and calls are the default unless hormonally suppressed. Mature peahens have been recorded as suddenly growing typically male peacock plumage and making male calls. They vary between yellow and tawny, usually with patches of darker brown or light tan and "dirty white" ivory. Females of the Indian and African species are dull grey and/or brown.Ĭhicks of both sexes in all the species are cryptically coloured. These feathers are much shorter than those of the Indian and green species, and the ocelli are much less pronounced. The Congo peacock ( Afropavo congensis) male does not display his covert feathers, but uses his actual tail feathers during courtship displays. Unlike Indian peafowl, the green peahen is similar to the male, but has shorter upper tail coverts, a more coppery neck, and overall less iridescence. Male green peafowl ( Pavo muticus) have green and bronze or gold plumage, and black wings with a sheen of blue. The female also displays her plumage to ward off female competition or signal danger to her young. The Indian peahen has a mixture of dull grey, brown, and green in her plumage. These feathers are marked with eyespots, best seen when a peacock fans his tail. The peacock train consists not of tail quill feathers, but highly elongated upper tail coverts. In both species, females are a little smaller than males in terms of weight and wingspan, but males are significantly longer due to the "tail", also known as a "train". The Indian peacock ( Pavo cristatus) has iridescent blue and green plumage, mostly metal-like blue and green. Video analysis of the mechanisms behind the display. ![]() Description Peafowl eggs Peachick Head of adult peacock A female peafowl, or peahen, walking freely around a zoo. More recently, Amotz Zahavi proposed in his handicap principle that these features acted as honest signals of the males' fitness, since less-fit males would be disadvantaged by the difficulty of surviving with such large and conspicuous structures.Ī group of peacocks is called an "ostentation" or a "muster". Charles Darwin suggested that they served to attract females, and the showy features of the males had evolved by sexual selection. The functions of the elaborate iridescent colouration and large "train" of peacocks have been the subject of extensive scientific debate. The latter is especially prominent in the Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted "tail" or "train" of covert feathers, which they display as part of a courtship ritual. Male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. The Congo peafowl is not a true peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin. The two Asiatic species are the blue or Indian peafowl originally from the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl from Southeast Asia Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, although peafowl of either sex are often referred to colloquially as "peacocks". Peafowl is a common name for two bird species in the genera Pavo and Afropavo within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice.Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxaĪ peacock spreading his tail, displaying his plumage You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. ![]() Click ‘Customise Cookies’ to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. ![]() If you agree, we’ll also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie Notice. We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements. We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie Notice.
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