What's Happening in the Peafowl Pen?
It’s a very special time of year for the peafowl at my Bedford, New York farm - it's the beginning of breeding season.
From now until early August, the peacocks display their stunning and iridescent tail feathers, strut back and forth shaking their hindquarters to produce a rattling sound, and make loud calls to the females around them. The peahens tend to choose males with the longest, most colorful tails. It's quite a "tail show."
Enjoy these photos.
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- This is one of my handsome peacocks. I share my farm with 18 beautiful peafowl – peacocks as well as peahens. Their pen is outside my stable, completely enclosed to keep them safe from predators. Peafowls are very hardy birds, and even though they are native to warm climates, they do very well in cold weather as long as they have access to dry areas away from strong winds. These birds spend most of their days outdoors, and nights in their coop where it is warm and cozy.
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- Peacocks have large eyes on the sides of their heads providing wide views. They possess sharp visual acuity as well as color discrimination. Both males and females have the fancy crest atop their heads called a corona. Male peacock feather crests are blue or green in color, while female crests are a more neutral shade of brown or cream.
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- Peacocks are stunning to look at, but do not underestimate their power. These birds are extremely strong with very sharp spurs – just look at the legs and feet of this peacock.
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- While these birds are ground feeders and ground nesters, they also enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators at night. My outdoor birds all have access to natural perches made from old felled trees here at the farm.
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- A peacock’s head can turn more than 120-degrees by rotating some of the joints between the bones in their neck. When looking behind them, these birds are physically twisting their bodies.
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- And here is a mature male with his gorgeous tail feathers behind him. A mature peacock can have up to 200 feathers in his tail, which can weigh about a half pound during mating season.
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- The beautiful feathers of the peacock grow to five feet long when mature – that’s longer than the bird’s body.
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- Peahens usually choose males that have bigger, healthier plumage with an abundance of eyespots. After the season ends in August, the males lose their long tail feathers and then grow them back before the next breeding season begins. The train gets longer and more elaborate until five or six years old when it reaches maximum splendor.
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- Peacock feathers also help the bird maintain its body temperature by trapping air and providing insulation. This male is preening, or cleaning its feathers with its beak.
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- Here is a peahen. Notice, the female is less iridescent with more muted colors and markings.
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- Females also lack the long, showy tails.
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- During the mating season, the peacocks will do their ritualistic dance to attract the hens.
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- The peacock turns in circles showing off his tail. This display is known as “train-rattling.” The ability to fan out the train is done with very strong and specialized muscles.
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- Here is one of my all white peacocks. Stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised.
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- Researchers say the longer the train feathers, the faster the males would shake them during true courtship displays, perhaps to demonstrate muscular strength.
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- Peacocks are polygamous by nature, often having several partners during the season, and after courtship, and mating. Here is a peacock dancing in front of a hen. She seems less than interested – maybe. Once a peafowl pair has bred, the peahen will usually lay about three to eight brown eggs. It then takes about 28 to 30 days for the eggs to incubate before hatching.
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- Peacocks and peahens are very smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever and very curious. Here are three peahens looking at my geese in the adjacent pen.
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- … While the males continue trying to attract them. Here’s a closer look at the male’s head and gorgeous eyespots on the lower portion of the tail closest to the body. The neck muscles stiffen to allow for the elegant positioning of its head during the courtship dance.
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- All peacocks and peahens will look you in the eye, but if you stare at them or seem aggressive in body movements, they will feel threatened. I love how friendly all my peacocks and peahens are with people.
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- And remember, only the males are peacocks. The females are peahens, and both are called peafowl. Babies are peachicks. A family of peafowl is called a bevy. And a group is called an “ostentation” or a “muster.” I wonder if we will have baby peachicks later this year.
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