Male peacocks are renowned for their elaborate and distinctive feathers, which form a striking visual display.
The Male Peacock’s Grand Feather Display
The male peacock’s most prominent feature is its expansive “train,” often mistakenly referred to as its tail. This impressive structure is actually composed of greatly elongated upper tail covert feathers, not the true tail feathers beneath them. These coverts can reach lengths of 5 to 6 feet (approximately 1.5 to 1.8 meters), making the entire bird up to 7 to 8 feet long. An adult male’s train typically contains around 200 feathers.
These feathers are renowned for their vibrant, iridescent colors, including metallic blues, greens, bronzes, and golds. The brilliant hues are not due to pigments, but rather to structural coloration, where the microscopic arrangement of melanin-containing cells and keratin layers within the feathers scatters and reflects light. The most iconic elements of this display are the “eyespot” patterns, known as ocelli, which are round spots featuring a dark center surrounded by concentric rings of color.
Why Males Have Such Elaborate Feathers
The elaborate feathers of male peacocks serve a primary purpose in sexual selection, specifically to attract potential mates. These striking displays act as an honest signal of the male’s health and genetic fitness to peahens. The “handicap principle” suggests that maintaining such a large and energy-intensive train proves a male’s underlying vigor.
During courtship, the male fans his train into a massive semicircle, often measuring 6 to 7 feet wide, and then quivers or rattles his feathers. This “train-rattling” movement creates a shimmering visual effect and a distinctive rustling sound, further enhancing the display. Peahens are highly discerning, often preferring males with a greater number of larger, more symmetrical, and more iridescent eyespots, as these traits indicate superior genetic quality.
Distinguishing Male and Female Peacocks
Female peafowl, known as peahens, also possess feathers, though their plumage differs significantly from that of their male counterparts. Peahens lack the extended, iridescent train that defines the male peacock. Their feathers are generally more subdued in coloration, typically featuring a mix of browns, grays, and muted greens. This less conspicuous appearance provides a degree of camouflage, which is beneficial for peahens as they incubate eggs and raise young.
Beyond plumage, male peacocks are also larger in overall size and weight compared to peahens. While both sexes have a crest of feathers atop their heads, the male’s crest is often blue or green, contrasting with the female’s more neutral brown or cream-colored crest.