Peafowl is the collective term for these birds; the male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and their young are known as peachicks. Peacocks are known worldwide for their spectacular, iridescent plumage. The dull colors of the young birds contrast sharply with the vibrant display of the mature male, sparking curiosity about their initial appearance. Understanding the color of a peachick requires looking at their camouflage as hatchlings and the slow process of feather development that follows.
The Appearance of Newborn Peachicks
A peachick’s coloration immediately after hatching is designed for survival and camouflage. The newborn bird is covered in a dense layer of fluffy down, which provides insulation. This down lacks the brilliant iridescence of the adult male peacock.
The primary color palette is a blend of yellowish-brown, tan, and buff shades. This protective coloration helps the small birds blend seamlessly into the undergrowth and dry grasses. Darker brown striping often runs along the back and head, breaking up the chick’s outline to hide it from predators.
Peafowl are precocial, meaning peachicks are mobile shortly after hatching, covered in down, and have open eyes. This immediate mobility necessitates effective camouflage, which the muted, earth-toned down provides. The texture is soft and fluffy, lacking the stiff structure of true feathers.
This initial coloring is similar between male and female peachicks, making them nearly impossible to distinguish by sight for the first few months. The color is purely functional, ensuring the chick can forage safely while following the peahen during its most vulnerable stage.
The Development of Adult Plumage
The transition from camouflaged down to distinct adult plumage is a process that spans several years. True feathers begin to replace the down within the first few weeks and months of life. The characteristic crest feathers, which resemble a small fan on the head, start to become noticeable around two to three months of age.
By approximately five months, juvenile males may show the first subtle hints of adult coloration, particularly blue feathers on the chest. The peahen, or female, reaches full adult size and color—typically a muted brown and green—much faster, often by the time she is one year old.
Distinguishing between juvenile males and females begins around the five-month mark, well before the male’s elaborate train develops. Juvenile males often display a lace-like or pinstriped pattern on their chest feathers, while females develop a more scalloped pattern. Young male tail feathers also become progressively darker as they age, unlike the female’s crisper barring pattern.
The male peacock’s famous train, the elongated upper tail coverts, is the last element of the adult plumage to develop. These feathers begin to grow noticeably in the second year, but they do not reach full length and iridescence until the bird is three years old. Peak development can take up to five or six years, marking the completion of the color transformation.
Genetic Color Variations in Peafowl
Genetic mutations can alter the peachick’s color from birth, even though standard Indian Blue peafowl hatch with yellowish-brown camouflage. These variations result from specific genes affecting pigment production and feather structure. The most common varieties are color mutations of the Indian Blue species.
One well-known variation is the White peafowl, resulting from leucism, not albinism. White peachicks hatch with a white or creamy-yellow down, lacking the typical brown and tan camouflage. Their eyes remain dark, distinguishing them from true albinos.
The Cameo mutation is another established variation that changes the base pigment. A Cameo peachick hatches with a muted, light brown down that is paler than the standard Indian Blue peachick. This coloration persists into adulthood, giving the mature bird a brownish, less iridescent appearance.
Even in these genetically altered birds, the difference between the sexes remains subtle in the early stages. The absence of the adult male’s structural color and iridescence is universal at hatching, regardless of the peachick’s eventual adult color.