When I was young, my grandparents used to have these decorative plaques hung on their living room wall with embossed image of a peacock on each. I wondered it if was a real creature and pondered what a magnificent, beautifully breath taking creature it must be. Well, you should know that as a toddler, I believed that Mickey Mouse was real- a part of me always knew he wasn’t- but at the same time I almost was sure in those fleeting moments I thought of it that it was indeed alive and that someday I would meet Mickey Mouse himself. Dementia in the making you say? – Perhaps (ha-ha). Oh and I believed in Santa Claus I could not remember mom and dad ever trying to trick me and sis into believing he was real because we did not have those “moments” really. So I guess it was all a wishful thinking of a very inquisitive and observant child that I was. And… and… and- unicorns!!! Yes- but I intend to have a whole separate post about that.
So anyway, growing up, I would light up every time I see a picture of peacocks. And I learned that they are REAL. I found out that peacocks are just the male peafowl, peahen being the female peafowl and babies peachicks! Peacocks shed off their long iridescent coverts during the end of summer of each year- the same molting process that happens to a snake shedding off its skin. This occurs timely before the mating season.
A set of even fuller plumes regrow into a perfectly scaled asymmetrical pattern in the duration of 7 months- just in time for the next courting season. Charles Darwin cited that the number and regalia of a peacock’s trail and number of eyespots (ocelli) determine the success of it luring a mate which is challenged by a recent study in Japan that the peacock’s dance (shivering) attracts the peahens more than its plumes’ brilliance. Which I guess we can relate to real life at how we choose a man. Yes?
The peahens’ much less extravagant feather formation and simpler colour scheme, on the other hand, is such in order to camouflage themselves from the predators especially when they are laying, incubating their eggs, or rearing their chicks. Also, peacocks don’t fly as well as peahens- you guessed it- it’s because peacocks’ long trail can be quite cumbersome and heavy.
Between the two known species of this pheasant family (Indian or Blue Peafowl and Green Peafowl), it is the Green Peafowl I am more attracted to: peacocks trails still regal yet the peahens aren’t too ‘deprived’ of those pretty colour combinations on their feathers. Green peahens are not as dull looking as their counterparts. I like that. But what I like more is the popular claim that Green peacocks are monogamous as opposed to the Blue peacock species which keeps harems of peahens. Yay! What a handsome couple.
Thus, I want to have some peafowl someday in the garden. They are the only mythical creatures of mine growing up that turned out to be real. But I also know that they don’t sound as beautiful as they look so perhaps a pair will suffice- not unless I get to have a whole mini forest for a garden someday.
For more information you may check out the book Beautiful Birds by Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn.
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