16 interesting facts about peacocks

One of the truly gorgeous birds is rightfully considered a representative of the pheasant genus - the peacock. Graceful feathered beauties easily acclimatize to new conditions and are quite unpretentious birds. Originate from South Asia.

Females have a rather unremarkable appearance, while males have outstanding, bright plumage. It is impossible to take your eyes off the sight of a graceful male spreading his luxurious feathers.

The peacock reaches sexual maturity around three years. Being a polygamous bird, as a rule, it lives in a group with 3-5 females.

In addition to the usual available facts about these charming birds, there are many more interesting ones, some of which are quite surprising.

Fact No. 5

Only males have beautiful plumage, which grows at approximately 4-5 years of age. Males are polygynous, meaning they seek out multiple females during mating season. They need feathers in order to attract the attention of females. The more beautiful a peacock's tail, the more females will be interested in it. It has an eye-like spot on each tail feather called an ocellus. The peacock's tail accounts for up to 60% of the length of the entire body. Their wingspan can reach 170 centimeters, making them one of the largest flying birds in the world.

The best weapon is beauty

The notorious “tail”, which has such a variegated color, is necessary to attract the attention of females . It is by spreading his amazing “fan” and displaying bright feathers that the male achieves the favor of the peahen (female peacock) in order to procreate. But in addition to charming females, it also serves to scare off enemies.

When a threat approaches, the peacock spreads its tail like a fan and creates the appearance of hundreds of “eyes” looking at the enemy. A kind of distracting maneuver that confuses the predator.

Fact No. 7

These are quite loud and vocal birds. They usually make sounds during the rainy season, so they can be used as natural indicators of this phenomenon. They also scream early in the morning or late in the evening. They make sounds both during mating and during times of danger. In total, peacocks can make up to 11 different sounds, each of which has its own specific purpose.

Peacocks can fly

Surprisingly, peacocks are not only able to gracefully walk on the ground, to the surprise of many, they can fly quite well. Their flight is not very long and high, but under certain circumstances they can take off and cover relatively decent distances, although they do this quite rarely. Feeling the approach of danger, they easily fly up a tree, where they love to spend their leisure time.

Fact No. 10

White peacocks are not albinos, as many people think, but a subspecies of blue peacocks (Indian) that have developed a genetic mutation. This mutation is called leucism and implies a partial loss of pigmentation of the outer covering. Leucism can lead to a complete absence of plumage color, but the normal eye color is retained, which is not typical for albinos, whose eyes become red or pink.

Delicacy

Peacock meat is considered a delicacy due to its delicate taste. It is probably not in vain that it occupied a well-deserved place of honor on royal tables for several centuries.

Until the 16th century, peacocks were actively used in cooking. Only years later it was replaced by chicken and turkey meat. Nowadays poultry is bred more for decorative purposes. Raising them for food is simply unprofitable, because the taste of the meat is not too different from the usual chicken, but the peacock itself and its maintenance are much more expensive.

Today, only in one of the restaurants in London you can enjoy such a delicacy - taste peacock meat.

Fashion

How could they use the feathers of these interesting birds! Women sought to decorate dresses, hats, hairstyles, fans with them, and expensive accessories were made from them. In order to get such feathers, it is not necessary to kill the animal; in the fall it is enough to go out into the clearing where their families graze, since molting actively occurs in the fall.

Unfortunately, the traders tried to get everything at once, so they not only collected discarded feathers, but also sought to get a carcass that could be sold for meat. The more difficult it was to get feathers, the more expensive they were, which closed a vicious circle, as more and more people wanted to rip the last from the animal.

The fashion of wearing peacock feather jewelry arose a long time ago. Not only ladies succumbed to it, but also medieval knights, who decorated their helmets with this accessory. In the 90s of the last century, fashion took a new turn, and having such a feather in the interior became a sign of chic.

Now interesting outfits with such plumage can be seen in original shows at high fashion weeks. But you can more often see a peacock on tattoos. Tattoo artists explain that such a design on the body can bring its owner a bright life, achievement of goals and meaning.

Sign language

Recently, biologists discovered an interesting fact: decorating a peacock has another mission. It functions as a communication channel among representatives of this species. The transmitter is the main decoration of the males, which generates infrasonic waves. People cannot hear these sounds because their ears do not perceive infrasound.

Occasionally one can observe how ripples pass along the tail feathers, which spread from the base to the end of the feathers, similar to the disturbance of the surface of water during earthquakes. People hear only a slight noise, reminiscent of the rustling of wind in grass or leaves. But the waves that peacocks transmit to each other in such an interesting way are not registered by the human organ of hearing, since its frequency does not even reach 20 Hz.

For other representatives of this species, such a signal heralds danger: females begin to show anxiety, and males scream loudly, so that these screams are heard throughout the entire area. In this case, the chicks tend to quickly hide under their mother’s wing, because this is the safest place in the world for them.

№6

Females lay about 3-6 eggs in one clutch. The incubation period lasts about 30 days. After birth, babies stay with their mother for several months. She teaches them to eat, care for feathers, and build relationships with other peacocks. Within a year, young individuals become adults. The tails characteristic of males begin to grow only at the age of 2-3 years and finish forming by 5-6 years.

Only males have such long beautiful feathers

Umesh Singh/Getty Images

Like other bird species, only male peacocks have attractive colors and beautiful decorative tail feathers. And it is the males that are called peacocks, the females - peahens, although representatives of both sexes are usually called peacocks. A group of peacocks is called a flock or flock.

№15

Hunting and rapid habitat loss due to pollution and deforestation have led to a significant decline in their populations. Of all three species, only the Indian peacock is not endangered, as it is protected at the legislative level in some states. As for the green and Congo peacocks, they are endangered.

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Thematic conversation with a presentation for elementary school students on the topic: Peacocks

Scenario for a thematic conversation for elementary school students “Let's talk about peacocks”

Author: Svetlana Nikolaevna Matveeva, primary school teacher, Secondary School No. 9, Ulyanovsk. Description of work: I bring to your attention a thematic conversation with primary school students about peacocks. This conversation is part of the series of conversations “Animals of our Zoo”. The material will be useful to primary school teachers, teachers of after-school groups, kindergarten teachers, teachers of children's health camps and sanatoriums when conducting events. The thematic conversation is aimed at students of primary school age, possibly preschoolers in preparatory groups. Goal: getting to know peacocks. Objectives: - clarify children’s knowledge about peacocks; — broaden the horizons of younger schoolchildren; — develop children’s needs for knowledge of nature and the world of birds; — increase environmental literacy of the children's population; - cultivate a sense of respect for the animal world.

Progress of the event
Teacher: Good afternoon, dear guys! Please listen to a few riddles and try to guess who they are talking about. 1. The magnificent tail of this bird sparkles with the colors of the rainbow. He unfolded his multi-colored elastic tail in front of his friend. Unearthly beauty! There is nothing more wonderful than a tail! How he dances alone - Amazing... (peacock).
2.What kind of miracle bird?!
Not an owl or a tit, Not a crane or a thrush... Like an open fan's tail... Blue, green, red - How many colors are there on the feathers? Like an important gentleman, Walking around the yard... (peacock).
3. This bird is like from a fairy tale. The feathers are all colored.
The tail is like a fan and so long. Whose tail is beautiful and long? Children, this tail... (of a peacock). Teacher: That's right, guys, this is a peacock. (A photograph of a peacock appears on the board.)

Teacher: India is considered the homeland of peacocks. (A photo of India appears on the board).

Teacher: Let's turn to the geographical map. (There is a map on the board.) Teacher: Which of you can show where India is? (The child attaches a pre-prepared flag to this place). Teacher: Now find where we are on the map. (A pre-prepared flag is also attached to this place). Teacher: In the wild, peacocks live within the borders of India and the island state of Sri Lanka. The island state of Sri Lanka, translated as “Blessed Land,” is a real paradise in the middle of the ocean, lush green tropical forests and mysterious ancient cities lost in the jungle. In this “pearl” of the Indian Ocean, the beauty of nature remains untouched. (A photo of the island nation of Sri Lanka appears on the board.)

Teacher: Most people mistakenly think that the magnificent feathers are the tail of a peacock. These feathers actually belong to the lower body and back. The train is raised and held up by the stiff feathers of the shorter, true tail, which is located behind these feathers and supports them. (A photograph of a peacock with its tail raised appears on the board.)

Teacher: Guys, today I want to introduce you to Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s fable “The Peacock.” (What follows is reading a fable or listening to an audio recording).

L. N. Tolstoy “Peacock”. Fable. The birds gathered to choose a king for themselves. The peacock spread his tail and began to be called king. And all the birds chose him as king for his beauty. The magpie says: “Tell us, peacock: when you become king, how will you protect us from the hawk when it chases us?” The peacock did not know what to answer, and all the birds wondered whether the peacock king would be good for them. And they didn’t take him as king, but they took an eagle. Teacher: Why do you think? (The children's reasoning follows).

Teacher: What does a peacock look like? Is his tail bothering him? What does he like to eat? What is the main diet? We'll find out from the presentation. (View the presentation with the teacher's comments).

Sample text: Perhaps the most beautiful bird in nature is the peacock. Although it is a close relative of ordinary chickens. Peacocks belong to the pheasant family, order Galliformes. These are the largest representatives of their squad. There are about 40 species of peacocks in the world. The most common type is the common (Indian) combed one, its color is predominantly blue. Natural habitat India. Back in the 3rd century BC, Alexander the Great took several Indian peacocks from India with him to Macedonia. Body length - 100 - 125 cm, tail 40 - 50 cm, elongated tail feathers decorated with "eyes" 120 - 160 cm. Weight - 4.5 kg. On the head is a crest that looks like a crown with bells. The head, neck and part of the chest are blue, the back is green, and the lower body is black. The tail part is divided into tail feathers and rump tails. They live in jungles and wooded areas, preferring bushes, forest clearings and river banks. These birds will never settle in open areas. Peacocks often perch on the lower branches of trees, but spend most of their time on the ground. They love to rummage around in the soil in search of food - bugs, worms, insects, and also adore various grains and berries. They feed mainly on plant foods, partly on animals (insects, mollusks, small vertebrates). The main food for these birds is grain crops. Despite their long tail, they move deftly between grass, plant stems and bush branches. In addition to plant food, they can catch small mice and other rodents, and very brave peacocks even attack poisonous snakes! Of course, they cannot cope with a large adult cobra, but this is the only way to deal with small snakes. Life expectancy is about 20 years. They keep in flocks and fly reluctantly, usually over a short distance.

Teacher: The next task is to color the peacock. We will each work individually. (Children color sheets with a picture of a peacock). Teacher: Thanks to its beauty and proud posture, the peacock has always occupied a prominent place in mythology and folklore. In Ancient Greece and Rome it was a sacred bird. In many countries, including medieval England, it was the royal bird. In Ancient Egypt, the peacock was considered a symbol of the city in which the Temple of the Sun was located.

Teacher: Guys, try to guess which of these sounds belongs to the peacock? (Next, the teacher suggests listening to several animal sounds). (Children guess). Teacher: While observing peacocks, scientists noticed an interesting phenomenon: before it starts to rain, the birds like to scream, and their sound is similar, as we have already noticed, not to a bird’s chirping, but to the sharp cry of a cat whose tail was accidentally crushed .

Teacher: Peacocks have always been the center of attention because of the extraordinary beauty of their tail. People often used this in proverbs: “A peacock looks after its tail, and a man looks at his good name” or “A peacock looks at his tail, and a man looks at his actions.” Guys, think about the meaning of this folk wisdom? (The children's reasoning follows). Teacher: I suggest watching the cartoon “Why does a peacock have an important gait?” I wish you pleasant viewing! (The cartoon follows.) Teacher: Recently I was in a zoo in our area. I recommend everyone who has not yet seen a peacock to visit it.

There was a peacock at the zoo. A very important citizen. He walked around and looked at us. And he wiggled his tail. And before our eyes, he waved his tail. The tail opened, beauty. Multi-colored tones. The overflows began to play. And the colors all sparkled. It’s like he’s blown a fan. The peacock surprised us so much. We read about him in books. Everyone knew his habits. As we saw it up close, we quickly opened our mouths. You can't call it beauty. You can't even find the words. It was like we were in a fairy tale. And we met a peacock!

Thank you for attention!
Presentation for a thematic conversation for primary school “Let's talk about peacocks”

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№13

As a rule, their daily schedule looks the same from day to day. Typically, in the wild, they roost in large groups in tall trees to protect themselves from predators. In the morning they come down from the trees, divide into smaller groups and go in search of food. Then they wash themselves, rest, and climb back into the trees to sleep. And so every day.

White peacock

Nature surprises with the presence of such special beauty as the snow-white peacock. These birds are more familiar to perception precisely because of their brightness and variegated colors, but the white color gives them even more amazing attractiveness.

Many people are mistaken in classifying white birds as albinos. Blue eyes against the background of snow-white plumage only enhance their beauty. In fact, the white color of these birds is recognized as one of the first to be discovered in the natural environment.

Population and species status

Common peacocks, compared to some other species of birds, belong to the category of birds that does not cause any concern. This is evidence that the total number of such birds living in the natural environment is at an optimal level. This species is the most common, and in some areas quite numerous. The total number of peacocks in the wild is estimated at 100 thousand individuals. Despite this, the national bird of India is listed as an endangered species, as evidenced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.