Peacocks are mainly known for their gorgeous tail. However, for many, the peacock's tail remains simply a beautiful decorative element, while for the birds themselves it is of great importance. In this article we will talk about why a peacock spreads its tail.
First, let's define the anatomical features of the peacock's body.
The biggest misconception is that people consider the long and beautiful feathers of a peacock to be its tail. No matter how incredible it may sound, what is considered to be the tail is actually the upper tail, but the bird’s tail itself looks much less pretentious - it is not at all so large, and the feathers in it are not so bright.
Now let's move on to a description of colors and sizes. The rump of these birds can reach up to 1.6 m in length and drag along the ground like a train. But the open “tail” reaches up to 3 m in width. Peacock rump feathers consist of a special thread-like fiber that has a heterogeneous color. At the tips of the feathers you can see a white fan, and in the center of this fan there is a bright eye. The colors of the feathers and eyes may vary depending on the type of bird. Many varieties of these birds were bred through crossing, so their coloring is significantly different.
It is noteworthy that only the male has such luxurious plumage. Female peacocks do not have such a luxurious rump. Their plumage is mostly grayish in color. Due to their coloration, the females are very inconspicuous. This difference is due to the need to camouflage and hide from predators. After all, it is the females who protect the clutches of eggs and chicks, and with bright plumage this is not easy to do.
Video “Why does a peacock spread its tail”
From this video you will learn why a peacock spreads its tail.
Why does a peacock spread its tail?
A peacock with its tail spread out is a common sight, but you should know that the bird opens its “fan” only on special occasions:
- Marriage games. The colorful “fan” serves to attract females. When competing for a lady's attention, gentlemen unfurl their rump feathers. Females, in turn, choose males with the largest and bushiest tails.
- Scaring away relatives. Trying to provide the female with everything she needs, the male often faces competition with his own relatives. Conflicts are resolved by demonstrating one's upper tail until the opponent retreats.
- Protection of offspring. Bright colors attract attention, and predators are no exception. As soon as the male realizes that his mate and clutch (chicks) are in danger, he diverts the attention of the predator.
- This is not at all difficult, given the brightness of the peacock's plumage. While the animal is chasing the peacock, the female and her offspring move to another shelter.
Communication. The feathers in the upper tail of these birds create infrasonic waves when swaying. Therefore, the movements of birds during mating dances and conflicts with relatives are different. It is thanks to infrasonic waves that relatives understand the signal that is given to them.
Bird species
Initially, in nature there are only two varieties of these birds: green and ordinary. The coloring of their rump is standard: fibers that change color along the entire length of the feather, a white border at the end and an eye. The eye consists of several color transitions: a light border of green or yellow, then a medallion (it can be light brown, brown or orange) and a blue circle with a dark blue pupil.
However, there are also a variety of mutations that appear as a result of crossbreeding. One of the most beautiful mutations is considered to be the white peacock. These birds have snow-white plumage all over the body, including the “tail.” Despite their white feathers, they are not albino. In addition, they have very beautiful blue eyes.
There is also the black-winged peacock, a relatively recently recorded color mutation. These birds have uppertail plumage colored in various shades of blue or green. A lavender mutation was also discovered - in such birds the “fan” feathers have a very beautiful lavender hue, as the name of the type of mutation suggests.
You shouldn’t disturb the bird and put it into a stressful state just because you want to see its loose tail here and now.
A bright and bushy “tail” is vital for birds, because it allows them to survive in the wild and have offspring.
Probably each of us has at least once seen such incredibly beautiful birds as peacocks. They are famous not only for their feathers, but also for their surprisingly flexible character. Perhaps for some it will be a discovery that peacocks actually originated from wild pheasants and simple chickens. But despite such strange “relatives”, the peacock has become one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Many people, watching him, want to see his tail, because when it opens, it looks like a kind of fan with a very beautiful color. In this article we will find out why the peacock needs such a large and bright tail.
Many people are mistaken and mistake a long train of colorful feathers for the tail of a bird, but in fact it is just an upper tail, and the real tail is nothing special.
It serves to maintain that same “fan” in a loose state. If we look at the numbers, this train significantly exceeds the length of the peacock itself and reaches approximately one and a half meters in length, and when opened it can exceed two and a half meters. Only males of the Galliformes order have the honor of having and walking with a spread tail. Females in this regard are not particularly distinguished by their riot of colors.
Their tail is light brown, but depending on the species it can be gray or brown. Based on this information, you probably have a question about why males have this beautiful train, but females do not? The answer is actually very simple. The main purpose of a peahen is to leave offspring, but how could this be done if it had the same plume of feathers as the male? She would not be able to hide in the tall grass from predators and hatch future chicks.
4 Reasons for Unfolding Feathers
- If someone saw a peacock at the zoo, then, probably, many would like to look at its feathers, which it spreads like a fan. In most cases this does not happen, and the peacock's tail drags along the ground behind him. Let's figure out why the peacock's tail blooms?
First of all, I would like to say that the peacock’s tail serves as a kind of call for the female to begin life together. When the mating season begins, the peacock shows its blossoming tail, while courting the female. All this is done so that the female pays attention to him and accepts courtship. If after several attempts the peahen still agrees, then the male turns his back to her.
This is very strange, but this is exactly what happens in these birds. So why did the peacock show his rear end to the female after such zealous courtship? It turns out that everything is simple: a peahen chooses a partner not by the appearance of a long train, but by the short tail feathers and the very back part. This is how she understands how old the male is, whether he is healthy and, of course, strong.
- Protecting the nest from predators
The peacock's rump serves not only to call for mating, but also thanks to it the bird is able to scare away opponents, thereby marking its territory, as well as protecting its future offspring from attacks by predators.
If the female and future offspring are in danger, the peacock releases its train and the predator’s attention immediately turns to it. The male begins to run away and thereby takes the predator with him.
- Repelling the enemy
During the mating season, several birds may compete for the attention of a female. Due to great competition, peacocks come into conflict with each other. Their fight is not a full-fledged battle. Males spread their tails and show them to each other. The one who has the bigger and brighter one wins.
- Communication with each other
Until a certain time, it was completely unclear how birds communicate with each other. Thanks to research and long-term observations, ornithologists have concluded that these birds conduct conversations using infrasound, which is not perceived by human hearing. It turned out that the tail feathers are the main instrument that not only creates low-frequency sounds, but is also a “transmitter” for receiving them.
Video “Keeping Peacocks”
In this video you will hear useful tips on breeding and keeping peacocks.
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Everyone has seen what chickens and roosters look like. Yes, we saw pheasants too. But it is quite difficult to imagine that a miracle can happen when wild species of these galliforms are crossed. However, a miracle happened. And the name of this miracle is peacock. Have you ever seen a peacock's tail? If not, then go to the nearest zoo, the spectacle is worth it!
The peacock's tail is one of the wonders of the animal world.
Tail or no tail
The bird, painted in bright colors, has a gorgeous tail trailing behind it. It is much longer than the peacock's body, and consists of large and dense feathers. The color of these feathers is beyond description. It shimmers in all shades of blue, green, and gold, depending on the type of bird. But get ready to be surprised, what we are talking about is not a peacock’s tail at all! All this beauty consists of the upper tail coverts. But a real peacock’s tail doesn’t look so pretentious.
The length of the uppertail feathers can reach 1.6 m. The feather consists of rare thread-like fibers. The color of the fibers is heterogeneous; one thread can have many changing shades along its length. The feather is crowned with a denser fan. In the center of which there is a bright peephole. The colors of the eye have several clear transitions. First there is a lighter border, most often it is yellow or green. Next is a light brown, orange, or brownish-red medallion, and in its center is a blue circle with a dark blue “pupil”. But this color of the rump is characteristic of natural species of peacocks, and the numerous color mutations of birds are very difficult to classify and describe.
Beautiful feathers grow not in the tail, but in the upper tail of a peacock
Do female peacocks have a tail?
There is a tail, of course, but there is no long rump of feathers of different colors. You will ask why? It's quite simple. How would a female peacock hide in the grass and bushes from predators and hatch her chicks? The calm and natural color of the plumage is not a decoration for the peahen, but an opportunity to fulfill its main purpose - to leave offspring.
Therefore, all the colors of the world are given to the males, and the long feathers are also given to them. They must somehow attract and charm their girlfriends when they reach puberty.
Decoration or burden
This is a method of natural selection. The long feather, which also has a bright color, attracts predators. This is why there are almost no weak or sick peacocks in the wild. Only the most dexterous and strong bird is able to avoid danger. The tail makes this task even more difficult. Why, you ask? So that the peahen has the opportunity to choose the most agile and healthy males to create a family.
The tail is a tool for natural selection of the best peacocks
The tail serves to attract a female and form a pair. During the mating season, the peacock's tail opens in front of the female like a motley fan. The male quivers his loose tail, rustles his feathers, and freezes in spectacular poses. He does everything to make the peahen pay attention to him. But, as soon as the female becomes interested in the mating dance, the male turns his back to her. For what? She selects a partner based on the appearance of the short tail feathers and hindquarters. This way she can determine the age, health and strength of her chosen one.
The tail also allows you to distract the predator from the nest. A bright color stands out in the grass, and the predator rushes after the male, not noticing the female and the nesting site. Why should a predator look closely if you can catch what is already visible?
To wear such an accessory, you must have strength and courage. The bird's weight is 4-5 kg, and it is quite difficult to keep the tail loose.
And the male also dances. Despite the fact that in nature the peacock lives in places with colorful and lush vegetation (India, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, China), the bright colors of its plumage do not provide a chance to reliably hide in the foliage.
Types of peacocks and color mutations
Regardless of the variety of flowers, there are only two species of these birds:
- common peacock;
- peacock Green.
These species are similar to each other, but when crossed they produce infertile offspring.
The white peacock is one of the color mutations of the common peacock.
Having created such beauty, nature could not stop. Color mutations have begun. The most famous form of mutation is the white peacock. This magnificent bird was first introduced to the world in the 19th century. Despite their color, white peacocks are not albino, although for some reason many people think so. They have bright and beautiful eyes. The male's eye color is blue, the female's is blue. The peacock's tail is divinely beautiful. When a bird performs a mating dance with its tail spread, it is simply impossible to look away.
Another common color mutation is the black-winged peacock. Such birds appeared in Europe in 1823. These peacocks were long considered a separate species, but then they proved that this is precisely a color mutation. The peacock tail in this case has blue or green color variations.
In 1984, the lavender color mutation was first discovered. The description of this bird was made in the USA. A peacock tail of a delicate lilac-lavender hue is an unforgettable sight. The neck and head of a bird with such a mutation may be greenish-brown or bright pink.
The Association for Captive Breeding of Peacocks officially recognizes 10 primary colors, 5 secondary, and 185 mutational varieties of plumage color. Why so much? Because 76 chromosomes provide enormous scope for color variations.
The black-winged peacock is a relatively recent color mutation
What is it like to be hunted?
The peacock's tail attracts the attention of not only predators, but also humans. Moreover, this attention is very ambiguous. Some peoples deified the beautiful bird and glorified it in works of art. Some believed that it brings bad luck. A peacock with a spreading tail was depicted on heraldic signs. Well, for some, the tail didn’t matter at all, they just loved the taste of a large, fleshy bird.
Families of peacocks were bred for beauty, to watch the male spread his tail in front of the peahen. But often people simply exterminated birds to get beautiful feathers for decorations and souvenirs.
Today, official hunting of peacocks in their wild habitats is prohibited, but poaching is impossible to eradicate. The peacock is a striking example of the fact that beautiful appearance can be given to a living creature not as a reward, but as a test.
The peacock owes its popularity precisely to its ability to spread its tail. One of the wonders of the animal world does not happen to amaze us with its beauty. The phenomenon of a bird's multi-colored plume blooming has a scientific explanation. What a peacock's tail is and why the male spreads his feathers can be found out in this article.
What is commonly called the tail is actually the upper tail of the bird. A train of long beautiful feathers grows from the back of the male. And the modest and inconspicuous tail of birds serves to maintain the “fan” in a loose state.
The peacock's tail (we'll still call it that) is significantly longer than the bird itself and can reach 160 cm. The length of the peacock along with the tail is on average 220 cm. When open, the peacock's "fan" reaches a width of 300 cm. Feathers made from which it consists of are very large and dense. Depending on the type of bird, the color scheme of the rump has several shades: from blue and green to gold and completely white. At the end, the plumage is the densest in composition and resembles a fan. It is here that the bright “eye” is located, having an interesting coloring with transitions from a lighter border to a dark pupil.
One tail can hold up to 170 "eyes".
What did nature take care of or why does a peacock need a train?
Why does a peacock have such a big and bright tail? Scientists are increasingly coming to the conclusion that birds need a tail in order for natural selection to occur.
Peacocks move quite deftly, not paying attention to the “burden” and can even fly if necessary. But without a tail, birds could be much more agile. If a representative of a species is not strong and hardy enough, it is unlikely that he will be able to escape from a predator. Thus the survival of the fittest.
To procreate, the female subconsciously chooses the male with the largest and most beautiful tail. Nature made sure that she had a decent choice.
Female representatives themselves do not have such a privilege as a train of long multi-colored feathers. This is also not without reason. A peahen hatching chicks should not attract the attention of predators.
Reasons why a peacock opens its feathers
Many people, having come to the zoo and found a bird with a folded train, ask the question: how to make a peacock open its “fan”? The answer is simple - not at all. It is only possible to try to catch birds communicating, dividing territory or mating dances. 
There may be several reasons for such a phenomenon as a peacock’s tail blooming:
- Mating dance. The main purpose of a bright and voluminous decoration is to attract the attention of the peahen. The peacock opens its tail, showing it to its beloved in all its glory, and taking spectacular poses. The male performs the dance until the female pays attention to him, after which the peacock turns away. The peahen must evaluate the condition of the peacock's tail feathers and the suitor's rump (how many feathers it contains, their appearance and color) and make a final decision. When the bride gives her consent, the groom presents her with food and mating occurs.
- Division of territory. During the mating season, each bird strives to capture the most advantageous place. The males show each other their magnificence until one of them forces the enemy to retreat. Conflict over territory can also arise with other birds and animals. In a private household, a peacock placed in the same pen with other representatives of the fauna may spread its feathers in an attempt to conquer territory.
- Protection of offspring from predators. To distract the attention of predators from the nest and the female, the peacock needs to open its tail. The distracted hunter rushes after the male, who folds his feathers and runs into cover (thickets). The female hides the chicks at this time.
- Communication with relatives. Birds transmit signals to each other using infrasound, which occurs when feathers vibrate. When a peacock performs a mating dance, it changes the angle of its feathers and shakes its tail to convey a signal to the female and catch her response. Dialogue between rivals occurs in the same way.
The peacock is a bird that is the largest representative of the gallinaceae order.
What is this bird? Here's what! The peacock is the largest representative of its order and genus; it has a fairly strong physique, a long neck, a small head with a peculiar crest - a corolla. The peacock's wings are short, like all representatives of the order, but the legs are quite long, which is one of the distinctive features of the peacock. Female peacocks have a short tail. And the males have unusually beautiful tails and are disproportionately long with the body.
It was the tails of the males that created such fame for this bird. Indeed, the peacock has something to be proud of. His tail is amazing and luxurious. When the peacock spreads it like a fan, the audience freezes with delight. In this “big-eyed” tail you can see all the iridescent shades. It harmoniously combines green, reddish, and blue tones. A peacock with its tail spread is an incredibly impressive sight. And for sure, it was precisely because of his loose tail that the ancient Greeks and Romans considered the peacock a sacred bird.
The peacock is a completely common sight in India and Ceylon. These birds are lovers of tall and heavily overgrown forests near water and grassy slopes. Peacocks spend the night in tall trees. And they feed during the day, looking for food for themselves in the grass. Peacocks love to visit rice plantations and other cultivated fields. There they feed on grains.
The peacock runs fast, and, as you remember, he has long legs. But here’s an amazing fact: despite its long tail, the peacock handles it incredibly deftly and makes its way through dense thickets without slowing down.
Peacocks have a highly developed sense of smell and reaction. He's very careful. At the slightest danger, the peacock instantly reacts and hides in dense thickets of bushes.
Peacocks, like their closest relatives, chickens, nest on the ground, making a cozy nest for themselves in depressions in the soil. Peacocks acquire the ability to reproduce only in the third year of life.
And this is where the fun begins. An adult male peacock begins to spread his tail. If an outside observer appears, he will think that the peacock is showing off in front of him and showing his pride.
But this is not true at all. Peacocks - males during the mating season begin to attract females. Without her consent, not a single male will enter into mating relations with her. So, in order to attract the chosen one, the peacock performs a mating dance and spreads its beautiful tail, which is the main trump card in the process of attracting a female. Further, the male necessarily looks for the best treat in the grass for his beloved, and if the female accepts this treat, the goal is achieved, consent is obtained, victory is won!
So the reason for the peacock's tail spreading is not at all his pride, as many people think. This is just a natural instinct that makes us admire not only humans, but also the females of these beautiful birds.
The peacock, for all its beauty, has one single drawback. This flaw is hidden in his larynx. The peacock's voice is like the eerie creaking of an ungreased cart. Therefore, during the mating dance and flirting with his chosen one, the peacock is always silent. After all, if he speaks, his beloved will not only not let him come to her, she will run away from him and hide in the dense thicket forever.