Rare peacocks. Common peacock and other breeds
|
Spreading Afropavo at a considerable distance from Pavo and other pheasants native to Southeast Asia also poses a biogeographical mystery. general characteristicsFirst described by American zoologist James Chapin. James Paul Chapin,-) in 1936, becoming one of the most unexpected ornithological finds of the 20th century. AppearanceThe male’s head is naked, blue-gray, the throat is orange-red, the rest of the neck is covered with short velvety black feathers; on the head there is a crest in the form of a bunch of erect feathers. The upper part of the body is bronze-green with large purple borders, and on the rump there are bright oval spots, like those of Asian peacocks. GeneticsComparison of karyotypes A. congensis, P. cristatus and some other galliformes revealed the maximum morphological similarity between the chromosomes of the African and common peacocks. Molecular genetics
Write a review on the article "Congolese peacock"NotesLiterature
Links
An excerpt characterizing the Congolese peacockThese gods reminded me of kind characters from fairy tales, who were somewhat similar to our parents - they were kind and affectionate, but if necessary, they could severely punish us when we were too naughty. They were much closer to our soul than that incomprehensible, distant, and so terribly lost at human hands, God...I ask believers not to be indignant when reading lines with my thoughts at that time. That was then, and I, as in everything else, was looking for my childhood truth in the same Faith. Therefore, I can only argue about this about my views and concepts that I have now, and which will be presented in this book much later. In the meantime, it was a time of “persistent search”, and it was not so easy for me... “You’re a strange girl...” the sad stranger whispered thoughtfully. - I'm not strange - I'm just alive. But I live among two worlds - the living and the dead... And I can see what many, unfortunately, do not see. That’s probably why no one believes me... But everything would be so much simpler if people listened and thought for at least a minute, even if they didn’t believe... But I think that if this happens when Someday, it certainly won’t happen today... And today I have to live with this... “I’m so sorry, honey...” the man whispered. “And you know, there are a lot of people like me here.” There are thousands of them here... You would probably be interested in talking to them. There are even real heroes, not like me. There are many of them here... I suddenly had a wild desire to help this sad, lonely man. True, I had absolutely no idea what I could do for him. “Do you want us to create another world for you while you’re here?” Stella suddenly asked. It was a great idea, and I felt a little ashamed that it hadn’t occurred to me first. Stella was a wonderful person, and somehow, she always found something nice that could bring joy to others. – What kind of “other world”?.. – the man was surprised. - But look... - and in his dark, gloomy cave a bright, joyful light suddenly shone!.. - How do you like this house? Our “sad” friend’s eyes lit up happily. He looked around in confusion, not understanding what had happened here... And in his eerie, dark cave the sun was now shining cheerfully and brightly, lush greenery was fragrant, birdsong was ringing, and there was the amazing smell of blooming flowers... And in fact in its far corner a stream gurgled merrily, splashing droplets of the purest, freshest, crystal water... - Here you go! As you like? – Stella asked cheerfully. The man, completely stunned by what he saw, did not utter a word, only looked at all this beauty with eyes widened in surprise, in which trembling drops of “happy” tears shone like pure diamonds... “Lord, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the sun!” he whispered quietly. - Who are you, girl? - Oh, I'm just a person. The same as you - dead. But here she is, you already know - alive. We walk here together sometimes. And we help if we can, of course. It was clear that the baby was happy with the effect produced and was literally fidgeting with the desire to prolong it... - Do you really like? Do you want it to stay that way? The man just nodded, unable to utter a word. I didn’t even try to imagine what happiness he must have experienced after the black horror in which he found himself every day for so long!.. “Thank you, honey...” the man whispered quietly. - Just tell me, how can this remain?.. - Oh, it's easy! Your world will only be here, in this cave, and no one will see it except you. And if you don’t leave here, he will stay with you forever. Well, I’ll come to you to check... My name is Stella. - I don’t know what to say for this... I don’t deserve it. This is probably wrong... My name is Luminary. Yes, he hasn’t brought very much “light” so far, as you can see... - Oh, nevermind, bring me some more! – it was clear that the little girl was very proud of what she had done and was bursting with pleasure. “Thank you, dears...” The luminary sat with his proud head bowed, and suddenly began to cry like a child... “Well, what about others who are the same?..” I whispered quietly in Stella’s ear. – There must be a lot of them, right? What to do with them? After all, it’s not fair to help one. And who gave us the right to judge which of them is worthy of such help? Stellino's face immediately frowned... – I don’t know... But I know for sure that this is right. If it were wrong, we would not have succeeded. There are different laws here... Suddenly it dawned on me: - Wait a minute, what about our Harold?!.. After all, he was a knight, which means he also killed? How did he manage to stay there, on the “top floor”?.. “He paid for everything he did... I asked him about this - he paid very dearly...” Stella answered seriously, wrinkling her forehead funny. - What did you pay with? - I did not understand. “The essence...” the little girl whispered sadly. “He gave up part of his essence for what he did during his life.” But his essence was very high, therefore, even after giving away part of it, he was still able to remain “at the top.” But very few people can do this, only truly highly developed entities. Usually people lose too much and end up much lower than they were originally. How Shining... It was amazing... This means that having done something bad on Earth, people lost some part of themselves (or rather, part of their evolutionary potential), and even at this, they still had to remain in that nightmarish horror, which was called - “lower” Astral... Yes, for mistakes, indeed, one had to pay dearly... “Well, now we can go,” the little girl chirped, waving her hand contentedly. - Goodbye, Luminary! I will come to you! We moved on, and our new friend was still sitting, frozen with unexpected happiness, greedily absorbing the warmth and beauty of the world created by Stella, and plunging into it as deeply as a dying person would do, absorbing the life that had suddenly returned to him... .
|
|---|
The national symbol of India, the sacred bird in Hinduism, the sacred bird of Zeus' wife Hera in ancient Greek mythology, the heraldic symbol, the most beautiful bird in the world, the royal or bird of paradise, the hero of myths and paintings... It's all about the peacock. Usually, knowledge about him is limited to the fact that he has a beautiful tail. While this bird deserves closer attention.
The beautiful peacock tail is not the only advantage of this bird.
The common peacock, or Indian peacock, is the largest representative of the pheasant order of the Galliformes family. The weight of an adult reaches 4-5 kg, the body length of the male is 125 cm, the tail length is 50 cm, the length of the uppertail feathers is up to 160 cm, the width of the uppertail feathers when expanded reaches 3 meters. Females are slightly smaller: the body length does not exceed 1 meter, the tail length is no more than 40 cm. The peahen is devoid of uppertail feathers. Contrary to the existing misconception, it is the feathers of the upper tail that the peacock spreads in a luxurious fan, and not the tail itself.
Appearance of bird of paradise
Every schoolchild knows what a peacock looks like. Almost all representatives of this family of Galliformes have a crest on their heads that resembles a crown. The common peacock has a distinct blue color in its plumage: the chest, neck and head are purple-blue, the back is green with a metallic or gold sheen, brown spots, the edge of the feathers is black, the tail is brown, the rump feathers are green with round spots (“eyes”) and a black dot in the middle. The legs are grayish-blue, the beak is pink. The peahen is colored brownish-earthy in the upper part of the body, the upper back, lower neck and chest are green, the sides of the head and throat are white, and there is a stripe near the eyes.
The characteristic lush tail of feathers with complex patterns is the main distinguishing feature of the male peacock.
The difference in coloration between males and females becomes noticeable by the age of three, with the onset of puberty.
The Indian peacock is the most famous and recognizable of its brothers. Although all representatives of this family look unforgettable.
How do birds of paradise live?
Peacocks do not fly long distances. They use their wings to escape from sudden danger or to fly up into a tree to roost at night. But they are often forced to flee from predators and be able to deftly maneuver in thick grass and bushes without slowing down. Therefore, they have well-developed legs, long and strong, adapted for running long distances and digging up hard soil. Peacocks can boast of excellent health - only a strong and resilient organism can survive in difficult conditions.
The homeland of the blue peacock is Sri Lanka, India, and Asian countries. Here they settle in wooded areas, in thickets of bushes and thick grass and not far from a water source.
Birds of paradise are herbivorous creatures. The basis of their diet is young shoots, grass, berries, leaves, roots, grain; but they are not averse to eating small insects, invertebrates and small snakes. Under natural conditions, peacocks often settle near agricultural lands and feed on grains from the fields, causing significant damage to the crop. However, local residents, who revere the peacock as a sacred bird, are happy about such a neighborhood and are grateful for the extermination of pests.
Wild peacocks live in wooded areas of India and Sri Lanka
Peacocks live in families: 1 male and 3-5 females. They nest directly on the ground, in thick grass.
The lifespan of a wild peacock is 20 years; in captivity, the bird can live up to 25 years.
The kingbird's main enemies in the wild are leopards, birds of prey and humans. Since the mid-20th century, the peacock has been listed in the International Red Book, as it was on the verge of extinction due to the beautiful feathers that people used as decorations.
During the mating season, the male performs a beautiful dance in front of the female, showing off his luxurious plumage. He dances until the female pays attention to him. Then he folds his tail and turns away from his chosen one for a few minutes. He does this so that she can carefully examine the state of his plumage and draw a conclusion about his strength and health. If the peahen considers the male suitable for procreation, she gives him a sign, he gives her a treat as a wedding gift, and mating occurs.
Both parents take care of the chicks.
The female lays up to 10 eggs and incubates them for 28 days. Peacocks make nests on the ground in thick grass. The peacock does not leave its chosen one and protects her from predators: in case of danger, it spreads its feathers and distracts the enemy, and the female, using her inconspicuous gray-brown color, camouflages herself in the grass. When the chicks are born, both parents take care of them. The color of the chicks is the same as that of the mother. They grow quickly, eat a lot and learn to find food on their own.
For centuries, people have kept peacocks to decorate parks, gardens and homesteads. Royal birds are unpretentious and are not much different in maintenance from ordinary chickens. There are a few things to keep in mind when keeping a bird of paradise in captivity.
- The peacock is afraid of drafts, so the enclosure must be warm.
- The perches should be at a height of at least one and a half meters: so that, while sitting on the perch, the male does not break the upper tail feathers.
- The enclosure needs to be spacious: the unfolded tail should not rest against the walls and ceiling and interfere with the females.
- The walking enclosure must be at least 6 m in length, have high perches and mesh around the perimeter and on the ceiling. When flying from a perch, the bird of paradise glides for several meters, and does not jump sharply down like a chicken or pheasant.
If conditions allow, then you can let the peacocks out for a walk in the garden. If well cared for, they are not prone to escape. You should be sure that they are not in danger from dogs.
In the wild, the peacock is a cautious bird that prefers to flee rather than fight. In captivity, the kingbird demonstrates a quarrelsome character: it does not get along well with other poultry, often attacks it, taking advantage of its superior size. Males are especially aggressive during the mating season and females with small chicks.
How do kingbirds communicate with each other?
Royal birds have an unusually unpleasant voice: it seems that a cat with a cold is screaming or a person with a complete lack of hearing is learning to play the trumpet. This contrasts with the bird's chic appearance. Fortunately, birds of paradise vocalize infrequently: in moments of danger or in the event of approaching rain and thunderstorms.
Until recently, it remained a mystery how these silent birds communicate with each other. Scientists have found that peacocks “speak” to each other at very low frequencies that are inaudible to the human ear. This feature also explains the ability to “predict” bad weather and the approach of a predator. Other animals are also capable of communicating at low frequencies: elephants, giraffes, alligators, whales.
Peacocks use ultra-low frequency sounds to communicate with each other.
Peacocks use infrasound to communicate with each other and to obtain information from their environment.
Other varieties of peacocks
In addition to the common blue one, there are other types of peacocks: Javan, white, African. They differ in color, size and habitat.
Green or Javan peacock
This breed lives in southeast Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Java, southern China. It is brighter colored than the blue peacock (green colors predominate in the plumage) and exceeds the latter in size. The crest on the head is down. The voice is softer than that of its blue counterpart. The tail is flat and elongated. The bird is the largest of all peacocks. Males of this species are extremely aggressive in captivity, making them difficult to breed. The breeding season is April - September. When crossed in captivity with a simple peacock, it produces fertile offspring called “spalding”.
The Javan peacock is common in Southeast Asia.
White peacock
Contrary to popular belief, this is not an albino, but a breed of peacock with white feathers. These birds have blue eyes, and the males have an “eye” pattern on the rump, but it is colored white. This is an artificially bred breed. Chicks are born with yellow down on their bodies, acquiring white plumage as they grow older. Life in natural conditions and keeping in captivity are no different from the life of colored breeds.
The white peacock is not an albino, but a separate breed of bird.
Red peacock
The African peacock was identified as an independent breed only in the 20th century. This species is distinguished by red-green-blue plumage, a bare gray-blue head, an orange-red throat and a crown on the head made of a tuft of straight protruding feathers. This species of peacock lives in Africa, in the Congo River basin and the rainforests of Zaire. Representatives of this breed are smaller than their counterparts. They have spurs on their legs. The rump feathers of males are much shorter than those of other breeds and do not have pronounced “eyes.” The only monogamous species of peacocks. The peahen lays and incubates 2-4 eggs for 27 days. The male stays next to her all this time and protects the future offspring.
The red peacock lives in the countries of Central and Northern Africa.
The different descriptions of peacock color in the literature can be explained precisely by the variety of colors.
Breeders are constantly working to develop new color options by crossing different breeds of peacocks. But only the four listed above are distinguished as independent ones.
Summary
The peacock is a uniquely beautiful bird, which for centuries has been ranked first among the most beautiful birds in the world. There are many myths and legends, sayings and superstitions associated with it. Some peoples deify the bird of paradise, others attribute witchcraft abilities to it. In Russia, the peacock is a symbol of arrogance and arrogance. Hindus have revered the peacock as a sacred bird for many centuries. In Asia, the royal bird is revered for its ability to predict the approach of bad weather, a snake or a predator with its sharp calls. In China, the royal bird is a symbol of happiness and prosperity in the family. In Great Britain, the bird of paradise is a symbol of misfortune and failure. The British believe that if there are peacock feathers in the parents' house, then the daughters will remain unmarried. In the theatrical environment, the feather of a royal bird on stage is a harbinger of the failure of a production.
In any case, this magnificent bird leaves no one indifferent.
Peacock It is considered the most beautiful bird in the world, and the peacock's tail is of extraordinary beauty. Common peacock ( Pavo cristatus), or Indian peacock, is the most numerous species of peacocks, belongs to the order Galliformes, the pheasant family, and the genus Peafowl.
Although Indian peacocks are members of the order Gallinae, this species has been shown to be genetically closer to (Meleagris gallopavo) than to (Gallus gallus).
Description of the peacock and photographs
Common peacocks have a long graceful neck and a small head with a small crest: males have a blue crest, while females have a brown crest, matching the color of their plumage. The peacock's voice is harsh and not very pleasant. The body length of a male peacock reaches 100-125 cm, the length of the tail is 40-50 cm, while the length of the upper tail coverts is 120-160 cm. The weight of a male peacock is 4 – 4.25 kg. The plumage of this beautiful bird contains a wide variety of colors: the back is green, the head, part of the chest and neck are blue, and the underbody is black. The female Indian peacock is smaller and has a more modest, brown color.
Peacock tail
A riot of plumage colors and luxurious fan-shaped ocellates tail created the peacock's image the most beautiful bird in the world. It is interesting that only males can boast of such beautiful tails; females of this species are less fortunate. Their plumage is not fragrant with colors, but consists only of grayish-brown tones. Ornithologists call this sexual dimorphism. It turns out that what we call a peacock's tail is actually nothing more than the feathers of the upper tail. It's all about the growth and placement of the pen. Shorter feathers cover longer ones, reaching one and a half meters in length. The feather consists of sparse thread-like fibers with a bright “eye” at the end.
Peacock is the most beautiful bird in the world
Peacocks are the most beautiful and largest birds in the world, this is what determines human interest in this species. As an exotic miracle, they were kept in Roman parks, first for aesthetic purposes, and then they were caught and served at the table during magnificent feasts. Common peacock meat was seasoned with various spices; it was considered one of the most delicious meat dishes. Nowadays, peacocks are kept exclusively as ornamental birds.
Peacocks can fly
When danger approaches, an ordinary peacock can take off, but the flight will not be long and high: only a few meters ahead.
Types of peacocks
The Indian peacock is not divided into species, but has a huge range of color variations (mutations). The following colors of peacocks are distinguished:
- Wild
- White
- Black-shouldered (black-winged, varnished)
- Motley
- Dark motley
- Cameo, or silvery dun
- Cameo black-shouldered or oatmeal
- White peephole
- Carbonic
- Lavender
- Bronze Buford
- Purple
- Opal
- Peach
- Silver motley
- Midnight
- Yellowish green
The United Peacock Breeding Association officially identifies only 10 primary colors (wild, white, cameo, charcoal, purple, bronze Buford, peach, opal, midnight yellowish green), 5 secondary colors (wild - striped wing, black shoulder, mottled, white eye , silver mottled), as well as 20 variations of the main colors and 185 varieties of the common peacock, which appear as a result of mixing the main colors and their variations.
Peacocks are one of the most recognizable birds, but few people know what types there are, where they live and how they differ. The homeland of the familiar peacock is India, from where the bird has spread throughout the world. However, they live in Nepal and Cambodia and are even a national symbol of Myanmar. The smallest representatives can be found in Africa, and some domesticated birds of rare colors can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The image of a peacock is known to everyone from early childhood and it was he who inspired storytellers to create the firebird. They lead a sedentary lifestyle and are good flyers; they prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. Peacocks feed on both animal and plant food. They love to feast on shellfish and young snakes, for which they are especially revered in India. Males grow long tail feathers before the mating season begins. The fluffy tail plays several important roles - it serves to attract females, scare away small predators, and shows superiority over other males.
After the mating season, the plumage molts and the male becomes very similar to the female.
Some species of peacocks are polygamous. The family consists of one male and several females. Peahens build nests in dense thickets. There are usually no more than six eggs in a clutch. The peahen incubates the eggs for a month. Just a few hours after hatching, the chicks are ready to follow their mother in search of food. African peacocks are slightly different in their behavior - a pair is formed once and does not break up until the death of one of the partners. For nesting, they choose tall stumps, branched trees, split trunks and even crevices in rocks. There are no more than four eggs in a clutch, but most often there are one or two. The peahen incubates eggs for 27 - 29 days. All this time, the male remains next to the nest, protecting his female and clutch. He leaves only for a while to get food.
The following types of peacocks live in the wild:
- ordinary, blue or Indian,
- green or Javanese,
- African.
Each of these species has its own habitat and several color forms. Most often, you can find the common peacock on the lawns of zoos and private farmsteads. Despite the fact that the bird is tropical, it adapts well to various climatic conditions, tolerates frost well and quickly gets used to its owners. It is the common peacock that is bred for its tasty meat and beautiful feathers.
Green peacocks are under special protection - in nature the species is on the verge of extinction due to a reduction in its natural habitat.
The African peacock is even more difficult to find in nature - it lives in a rather limited territory, is shy, cautious and prefers to settle in dense jungles along the tributaries of the Congo.
Blue or common peacock
The common peacock is also called Indian and blue. He lives in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as on some islands of the Indian Ocean. The Indian peacock settles in dense forests and jungles, preferring to live near rivers or lakes. You can often find peacocks in mountainous areas at an altitude of up to two kilometers. The bird's chest and neck, as well as the head, are painted in rich purple-blue tones, which in the sun can have a greenish or golden tint. The back plumage is blue-green, with a pronounced steely sheen. The tail feathers are brown, and the rump feathers are bright green and have a bronze tint. The rump feathers end in a kind of fan with a black eye. The birds' beak is pinkish, and their legs are bluish-gray, earthy in color.
The following sizes are typical for males:
- weight - up to 4.5 kg,
- body length including tail - up to 1.8 meters,
- the length of the upper tail feathers is up to 180 cm.
Peahens are smaller in size and more modest in color. The body length of the peahen does not exceed a meter. The head and neck are white on the sides, the bottom of the neck, as well as the upper part of the back and breast are gray-green or brown-green. The rest of the plumage has an earthy, brown-brown color.
Indian common
The Indian peacock has no subspecies, but in nature, and even more often in zoos, you can see a rare natural white color form.
The white peacock is not an albino, as many people think. White color is the result of a rare gene mutation. The main difference from albinos is the bird's blue eyes.
The following basic colors were artificially obtained and fixed by breeders from different countries:
- black-shouldered (black-winged or lacquered),
- bronze,
- variegated (dark variegated and silver variegated),
- peach or pink,
- opal,
- purple,
- lavender,
- cameo,
- midnight,
- carbonic.
Among the color forms, only black peacock is absent. Even the charcoal has a predominance of dark green feathers. Most artificially colored birds have yellow or gray-yellow legs and a yellow-brown bill, and are standard sizes for the species.
In 2005, an international association was created, the purpose of which was coordinated work on breeding peacocks, fixing plumage colors and preserving wild species.
The Association has defined for the common subspecies ten main colors, twenty acceptable sub-bases of the main colours, and 185 variations of plumage color obtained by crossing birds with different colors and bases.
Green peacock species
The Javan or green peacock is the largest. The bird's body reaches more than two meters in length, and its wingspan is one and a half meters. The tail feathers of males sometimes grow up to 200 cm. The weight of the Javan peacock often exceeds five kilograms. The Javan peacock has bright plumage, which is dominated by green tones. The upper part of the neck, as well as the head, has greenish-brown plumage. The feathers around the eyes are gray-blue.
The bird's breast and upper back are blue-green, with yellow and reddish spots. The rest of the plumage is reddish-yellow with brown spots. The bird's beak is often black, and its legs are earthy gray. The green peacock is found in the forests of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and the southern regions of China, as well as Myanmar. The Javan peacock is a territorial bird, preferring dense forests along river banks, wetlands with an abundance of bushes. The Javan peacock often settles in mountainous areas, at an altitude of up to one kilometer.
The Javan peacock has three subspecies:
- Burmese,
- Javanese,
- Indo-Chinese.
Conogolese species of peacock
The African peacock or Congolese red peacock is native to Central Africa. It lives in the damp swampy areas of Zaire and along the tributaries of the Congo. The African peacock is not large in size. The male has a body length that rarely exceeds 70 cm, and females - 50 cm. The plumage is greenish, with a rich red-bronze tint. Each feather has a bright purple edge.
The African peacock differs from its relatives in that the head is completely devoid of feathers and the males do not grow a luxurious rump during the mating season. The African peacock is called the red peacock for its bright red neck. The neat head with a small gray beak is decorated with a crest. The paws of males and females have spurs.
The main decoration and pride of the peacock is its breathtaking tail. Although there is a small correction here. What we take for a tail are actually highly developed covert feathers. Here's how. But it's not all surprises.
Looking at peacocks, you might think that this genus of birds has many species, they can be so different in color and structure. But that's not true. In the genus Peacocks (lat. Pavo) there are only 2 species: the common peacock ( Pavo cristatus) and green peacock ( Pavo muticus). The Congolese or African peacock stands a little apart ( Afropavo congensis), which is endemic to the African continent and belongs to the genus of Congolese peacocks. There are significant differences between the two genera, both in appearance and in reproduction.
Common peacock The rest of the variety of appearance of peacocks is just the result of different color options of the common peacock, including the white peacock.
White peacock This is general information. Now I propose to get to know each species better.
1. Common or Indian peacock (lat. Pavo cristatus)
This species was first discovered in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. It was called Indian because of its place of residence - the tropical forests and jungles of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In addition, it has another name - blue. And all because his head, neck and part of his chest are painted blue. The back is green and the underparts are black. Females are smaller in size and not as brightly colored. Plus, they don’t have that gorgeous “tail” that nature has awarded the males.
Common or Indian peacock (lat. Pavo cristatus) Males have the following dimensions: body length - 100-120 cm, tail - 40-50 cm, and elongated upper tail coverts (that same chic “tail”) - 120-160 cm. On the head there is a bunch of their rod feathers with edging at the ends .
In India, and among Hindus in general, the peacock is considered a sacred bird and therefore is allowed to roam wherever it pleases. It feeds fearlessly near settlements and in rice fields. But such a neighborhood can only be tolerated by those who really love and revere this bird, because, despite its beauty, their singing can hardly be called sweet-voiced. Often at night, sharp, piercing screams are heard, which can greatly frighten unaccustomed tourists.
Tuft Usually their songs can be heard before a thunderstorm or the onset of monsoons, and during the rainy season they begin mating games, in which the males are happy to show the females everything they are capable of. As a result, it turns out that their screams are in any way connected with the rain. Therefore, some locals believe that these sacred birds call for rainfall.
In addition, in the thicket of the forest, the peacock is the main informant about the approach of large predators. Seeing them from afar, sitting comfortably on a tree, they begin to emit alarming signals.
Peacocks are also excellent snake repellents. Not far from human settlements, they happily hunt young cobras. That's why the locals love them very much. In addition to snakes, they feed on seeds, green parts, roots and fruits of plants, as well as various spiders, insects and small amphibians.
With the arrival of the rainy season, peacocks begin their mating season (April-September). At this time, the male begins to arrange a mating dance in front of the female, and does it as if he realizes all his attractiveness and irresistibility.
He does not run after the female, but slowly spreads his “tail” and begins to shake it lightly, while emitting calling signals for the female. At this time, she pretends not to notice him and continues to go about her business. Then the male suddenly turns his back on her. This behavior of the gentleman clearly does not suit her and she has to get around the male. He turns away from her again. And this continues over and over again until the female peacock (peahen) gives her consent to create a pair.
Mating dance 
Back of a peacock The male performs such dances in front of several females. In total, his harem can contain up to 5 females. Each of them then lays from 4 to 10 eggs in a nest, in the form of a small hole. In captivity they can lay up to 3 clutches per year. After 28 days, the chicks hatch. Up to 1.5 years, the male is very similar to the female; long tail feathers begin to grow only after 3 years.
2. Green or Javan peacock (lat. Pavo muticus)
Another species of Asian peacocks. It lives in Southeast Asia, in the territory from the northeastern part of India to western Malaysia and about. Java.
Green or Javan peacock (lat. Pavo muticus) It differs from the ordinary peacock in color and size. The green peacock is somewhat larger. The length of its body can reach 2-2.5 meters, the length of the tail feathers is 140-160 cm. The color is bright green with a metallic tint; reddish and yellow spots can be seen on the chest. The legs are slightly longer, and the head is decorated with a small crest of fully pubescent feathers. His voice is not as sharp and loud as his brother's.
Male and female Javan palin The number of green peacocks is much less than usual. A particular decline occurred in the second half of the 20th century. Now it is protected and listed in the International Red Book under the status of “vulnerable”. It is the national symbol of Myanmar.
Female Males are very aggressive towards other peacocks and other members of the pheasant family. Therefore, they are advised to be kept in a separate enclosure. They can also attack people, especially if they decide that their females are in danger. In this regard, breeding these birds in captivity is a very troublesome and problematic task.
3. Congolese or African peacock (Afropavo congensis)
The official discovery of this species occurred quite late, only in 1936. The credit goes to scientist James Chapin. At the very beginning of the 20th century, he and another scientist went to Africa for okapi, but failed to catch this animal. But they took with them the headdresses of local hunters, richly decorated with feathers of various birds. Almost all feathers except one had their owners identified. Who owned the remaining feather remains a mystery.
In 1936, Chapin completed his research work at the Belgian Congo Museum. Quite by accident, he looked into one of the old cabinets with long-forgotten exhibits and found there a stuffed bird with exactly the same feathers, which he could not identify in the headdress.
Initially, this bird was mistaken for a young peacock and was safely forgotten. But it turned out that these birds, although they are relatives of the ordinary peacock, belong to a completely different genus. As a result, they received their name, African or Congolese peacock.
These birds live in the Congo River basin and in the forests of Zaire at an altitude of 350-1500 meters.
Compared to other peacocks, they do not have that beautiful “tail”, and their size is small. The body length of males is only 64-70 cm, while females are 60-63 cm. The color is dark, there is an orange-red spot on the throat, and purple feathers are located on the chest. There is also a “crown” on the head.
Compared to other peacocks, the African peacock is monogamous. The female incubates only 2-3 eggs, from which chicks hatch after 3-4 weeks. They live with their parents for up to 2 months.
Peacocks have long been used in households. Even during the time of Alexander the Great, who contributed to their appearance in European countries, peacocks were bred not only for their wonderful feathers, but also for their meat. But at the end of the 15th century, dishes made from peacock meat were replaced by more tasty turkey.
