What is the name of the female peacock. The meaning of the name of the peacock. Can you eat peacocks

Peacocks belong to the order of chickens, and in the circle of close relatives this bird has no equal in beauty. Yes, and among other species of birds, one must also look for rivals. But the admiration applies to males, but what about the female peacock? Why is she less talked about, how to distinguish his modest girlfriend from a handsome male?

The female peacock does not have such a beautiful tail as the male, but is also worthy of attention.

Everyone knows the saying "Performs like a peahen", but not everyone realizes that this is the name of a female peacock. People have long noticed that the peacock is a graceful, important bird, moves slowly, with dignity, and therefore associations have arisen.

How to distinguish a female from a peacock? Surprisingly, such a magnificent handsome man has a “wife” of a modest dull color. She does not have a long and beautiful tail, the plumage is not so bright, it does not shimmer with a variety of colors. The only thing is that on the neck, depending on the breed, a green or blue area is highlighted. The crest is also not so expressive, its color is brown, and the male has a crown of bright feathers on his head.

The tail of a peahen and a peacock is, in principle, the same, the difference lies in the long and beautiful cascading feathers above the tail of the male. They are characterized by a bright color, decorated with multi-colored "eyes".

But about females it cannot be said that they are ugly. Although their beauty is not striking, they are very cute. A small graceful head, large bright eyes also attract attention.

The small graceful head of the bird and the beautiful expressive eyes of the female peacock attract no less attention than the tail of the male.

And the magnificent plumage of peahens is useless, nature took care of them, because the task of the female is to make a nest, sit and raise offspring, protecting them from predators. Therefore, the color of the feathers should merge with shrubs and grass. Modest coloring helps to hide while incubating eggs and walking with chicks.

What are the females

The birthplace of exotic birds is India and the island of Sri Lanka. Peacocks prefer to settle in forests and bushes; open areas for living are not suitable for them. In the wild, two types of peacocks are common.

• common peacock. The males display magnificent blue plumage. The head and neck are cast in bright blue, on the back there are magnificent golden-green overflows, and the tips of the wings are orange. With a body length of 120 cm, the length of the feathers of the rump is 160 cm. The females are much smaller, there are no rump, painted in a modest uniform gray color. Both sexes are characterized by a crest on the head, resembling a crown, but in pavs it is brown, and in males it is blue.
• black-shouldered peacock. Refers to the color mutation variants of the Indian variety, but for a long time stood out as a separate species, until Charles Darwin refuted the erroneous theory. Its difference is blue-black wings. Peacocks are beige, not gray, on the back, near the tail, the plumage is darker: light brown.
• White peacock. Also a color mutation, peacocks do not belong to albinos. The dominant gene gives an unusual white color to both sexes. Only males have blue eyes, while peahens have blue eyes. Females resemble gentle princesses, they are very beautiful and touching.
• green indian peacock. The bird is larger: males from 2 m, some individuals reach a length of 3 m. Upper tails grow up to 169 cm. This species is characterized by a predominance of blue, but with a green tint, sometimes there is brown with green, there are also red blotches. The crest on the head is not represented by a crown, but by a bunch of feathers of different lengths. The females of the species do not differ much in plumage; she also has tail feathers, but not so long.

The appearance of the female depends on the species of the peacock.

By crossing peacocks within a species, breeders have created many color options. The colors of the bird are diverse, and it is impossible to predict what color will turn out during the experiment. By the way, the result is not always successful, so true connoisseurs of peacocks prefer natural colors.

mating games

For a handsome male, the main task is to attract a female, but the “last word” remains with her. Pava will prefer the strongest and most interesting partner in order to prolong the line, and the children have inherited the strength and health of the best breeder.

The beautiful tail of the male was created by nature to attract a girlfriend. He opens a magnificent fan, shakes it so that the female pays attention to it. The duration of the mating dance is 20 minutes, the rest of the time he walks in front of her, demonstrating his beauty.

But, as scientists from the American city of Durham found out, the peahen is not interested in the tail itself. Bright coloration is a guarantee that the female will consider conspicuous plumage in the thick grass.

As soon as she pays attention to the future partner, he turns his back and shows the back of the bottom. According to the signs known to the female, she determines the age of the peacock, decides whether he will suit her as a “husband”.

In the mating games of peacocks, the beautiful tail of the male does not always play a decisive role.

The main purpose

Peacocks create families, one male in a family can have from 3, maximum 5 females. Girls are non-conflict and get along well together. But males, especially during the mating season, are aggressive and will not let an opponent into the territory.

The peacock's wife begins to lay eggs from April, under favorable conditions, she will make three clutches until September. In a secluded place, the peahen builds a nest of a simple design. Usually this is a small depression in the ground, lined with grass. The female pulls down from the chest and abdomen, carefully lining the nest with them. After 28 or 30 days, chicks will hatch with gray down.

It is easy to distinguish the sex of young animals already after three weeks: males grow faster, so they will be much larger.

In the second year of life, the female is already ready for reproduction, unlike males, whose maturity occurs at the age of two.

The female peacock reaches reproductive age in her second year of life.

The cry of a peacock is peculiar and does not at all fit with the appearance of a bird. They cry very loudly - before the rain or when they are alarmed. The sounds are sharp and non-melodious, people say that "a peacock's cry is worse than a cat's screams."

Peacocks are bred to decorate estates and plots. It is easy to keep them, they do not require special care. Birds become attached to a person, recognize their owner and do not fly away from their place of residence.

But the enclosure must be spacious so that a large family can move freely, and the male does not damage his magnificent tail feathers. Additionally, enough space for walking is required.

Usually the family consists of three females and a male, but it happens that in captivity he prefers one of them, leaving the others unattended. Such a situation in the wild is impossible.

In order for a bird to breed safely in captivity, certain conditions must be created.

• First of all, it is high-quality and nutritious food.
• A couple is not made up of closely related individuals, otherwise the offspring cannot be expected.
• In wildlife, the peahen is a good mother, but in the aviary she sometimes forgets about her duties, refuses to take care of the chicks. But if the female sat down to incubate, up to 15 eggs can be laid under her.
• When the peahen continues to take care of the offspring, she needs help and good conditions, because the chicks are very demanding to care for.
• When the female does not want to sit, eggs are laid under chickens or turkeys, they will become excellent mothers for chicks.
• From 8 months, males are placed in separate enclosures so that they do not fight, otherwise they can damage each other during a showdown.

For breeding peacocks in captivity, they need to create suitable conditions.

Looking at peacocks is a pleasure, males admire the beauty of plumage, and females touch with modest beauty, grace and touchingness.

Summary

• The name of the female peacock is peahen.
• The plumage of females is more modest than that of males, but not without attractiveness.
• In peacocks of different species and color mutations, the color of females is different.
• Beautiful plumage for males is necessary to attract a girlfriend.
• The modest appearance of peahens is due to their purpose: breeding and preserving offspring.
• Reproduction of peacocks at home is possible when creating favorable conditions.

In nature, there are many beautiful creatures with amazing appearance. Animals and birds attract the eye of a person, he wants to touch this splendor. Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful birds is the peacock. But few people know that this proud bird with chic plumage has much in common with ordinary domestic chicken. So, what kind of bird is a peacock and where do they live?

Description

Since the appearance of a peacock, a person has been interested in a number of questions: “What is the name of a female peacock?”, “What does a peacock look like”? "Where do peacocks live?". These amazing birds are usually attributed to the pheasant family, ordinary peacocks belong to the order of galliformes. In addition to the appearance, the common peacock is considered the largest of all its relatives.

First of all, the brightness of the plumage of this bird catches the eye of a person. The neck of the bird of paradise is long and exquisitely graceful, the head is small in size, with an original crest. In males, the crest is blue, matching the color of the rest of the plumage, and in females, the crest is brown.

The bird itself is large, growth reaches about 125 cm, weight ranges from 4.2 kg. The length of the tail is average, about 45 cm. The female peacock, as a rule, is smaller than the male, and the plumage color is also different: in females, the plumage is brown. Males have brighter plumage, green, blue, black shades are often found.

Despite all the external beauty, the bird's voice is extremely unpleasant. It makes sharp throat sounds that are unpleasant to the human ear.

The tail of representatives of this breed is decorated with an ornament, vaguely resembling an "eye". Moreover, nature awarded only males with a fan-shaped, beautiful tail, females were not lucky in this regard. The tail of females does not play with such bright colors as that of males, it is more restrained, designed in dark brown tones. The tail feathers are actually of different lengths, and grow in overlapping fashion. It is this fact that is the secret of the magnificent tail of the peacock.

Peacock species

Birds of paradise are indistinguishable from each other in terms of body structure and other physiological features. They are divided into species, due to the different color of plumage. The following shades of plumage are distinguished:

• White;
• wild;
• peach;
• carbonic;
• variegated dark;
• lavender;
• cameo;
• purple;
• opal;
• midnight;
• yellow-green;

In total, in nature there are three types of representatives of this species, which, in turn, have subspecies. The main types include:

1. Common or Indian peacock.
2. Green.
3. African.

An ordinary representative of this breed, in turn, is divided into white and black-winged. Whites are considered the most common variety of the common peacock. This is a large bird with snow-white plumage and blue eyes.

The black-winged representative of this family is considered a variety of the common peacock, has a black plumage with a bluish tint. The female is lighter than the male, they have brown and yellow spots on their backs.

The Indian peacock is one of a kind, has no subspecies.

Green a representative of the family is considered a variety of representatives of Asian breeds, it is somewhat larger than an ordinary peacock, the plumage is brighter, and has a metallic sheen. The limbs are longer, the tuft and neck are also larger than those of the common one, but the voice is more melodious and pleasant. Weight fluctuates around 5 kg.

Java green, Indochinese and Burmese peacocks are considered subspecies of green. The name was given due to the habitats. These are large birds whose plumage is dominated by green hues. Feathers, especially on the tail, have a certain metallic sheen.

Congolese the peacock is also called African. This bird is the largest of all, growth reaches about 70-75 cm. Females and males are hardly distinguishable. The plumage is dominated by blue, purple, green shades. Monogamous in nature.

Habitat

The main places of residence of these amazing creatures are India and Sri Lanka. It is not difficult to guess that it was here that the Indian representative of this breed was first discovered. Representatives of this species live in almost all zoos and zoos in the world.

Some representatives of these species live in Malaysia, on the island of Java. From the archives it is known for certain that peacocks were loved by royal families, they were specially bred in palaces as decorations for the royal court.

Man has long domesticated the peacock. Exotic lovers breed a beautiful bird in their backyards, mainly for the sake of the beauty of the tail.

For birds of this breed, the presence of a shrub is extremely important. In its natural habitat, the bird chooses an area with densely growing shrubs, where it is most convenient to settle down for the night, rest and hide from enemies.

The bird of paradise loves water bodies very much, there are a lot of insects around them, which it feeds on. In addition to such an important factor as nutrition, in especially hot weather, a representative of this breed bathes, he hides in the water from the heat.

Birds of this breed are accustomed to live in small groups, in families there is no strict division into gender. They are friendly, easily get along with relatives, try to avoid conflicts and fights. Active during daylight hours, resting in a safe place at night. The bird is a light sleeper, does not lose vigilance even during sleep. If the bird is in danger, it prefers to flee, does not enter into open conflicts.

Peacock food

These birds feed mainly on plant foods. In the wild, they eat fruits, root crops, do not disdain to eat rodents and even small snakes. They look for food only on the ground, in the trees they mostly rest and sleep.

Feeding peacocks at home

When breeding these breeds of birds at home, the breeder will need to create the conditions for keeping this bird as close as possible to natural ones.

At home, the breeder needs to make a daily diet, which should include the necessary vitamins and minerals. The basis of nutrition is considered to be cereals, they feed the bird once a day. In addition, you can feed the bird with vegetable top dressing, leftovers from the table, in order to slightly diversify the daily diet:

• dried bread;
• cereals;
• boiled potatoes;
• meat top dressing (minced meat every 2 weeks);
• earthworms;
• insect larvae;

Should be remembered that such delights are freely available in almost all specialized stores for animals.

Many of us are familiar with the expression "Walks like a peacock", but few people think that this name means a female peacock. Yes, indeed, if you watch these birds for a long time, then we will make sure that they are very graceful, calm and even a little slow. By the way, the peacock is the largest bird species among chickens. And also the most beautiful. Therefore, if someone tells you that you are a pava, do not be offended. This is a wonderful compliment! Appreciate their beauty in the photo.

Are there any differences from the male?

Like chickens, the female peacock is very different in beauty from the male. The first is that she does not have a beautiful multi-colored plumage on her tail, the second is a duller and more uniform color. So, for example, females of the most common type of peacocks - ordinary blue, have a uniform grayish plumage, while males flaunt with colors. The head and neck of the males are painted bright blue, the back shimmers with green and golden feathers, and the ends of the wings are orange. The only thing that is present in both sexes is a beautiful crest on the head in the form of a small crown. Only in females it also has a gray-brown color, and in males it is blue.

However, it cannot be said that the females are less beautiful, they are also very cute and attractive, as seen in the photo. For example, the same common blue species has a shiny upper back and chest, and a beautiful combination of colors on the head and neck. In the black-winged species, the peahen has a yellowish-brown plumage on the upper body. But in general, you can talk for a very long time. This is a special species, which is distinguished by its extraordinary beauty.

It is known that the tail of the male is a kind of attraction of girlfriends. Many people know that he fluffs it up and waves it in order to draw the attention of the female. But as it turns out, in fact, peahens do not really pay attention to the feathers of their tail. Such a statement was recently made by American scientists from Duke University in Durham. After conducting several studies and observations of these birds, they learned that the females are attracted by an exceptionally bright color, and then at a great distance.

When meeting, the peahens do not look at the beauty of the tail, but evaluate the lower part of the male. It is assumed that birds use it to determine the age of their partner. But the bright tail is a guarantee that in the thick grass the pavilion she likes will consider and notice the male.

Video "Peacocks on the run"

In this video, you can take a closer look at these birds in detail, as well as see how the female differs and what plumage they have.

Many believe that the peacock (lat. Pavo Linnaeus) is a truly special bird. However, this is not quite true. The results of research by zoologists have shown that the peacock has a lot in common with an ordinary chicken and belongs to the chicken order! The magnificent "tail" of the peacock is actually the feathers of the rump, while the tail itself consists of nondescript gray feathers.

These exotic birds are widespread in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and some other countries. They prefer to stay in the jungle at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level. Like the common domestic chicken, the peacock is a ground bird and runs very well and makes its way through dense thickets.

At real peacocks(Pavo) the upper tail coverts are very strongly developed, which the male spreads in the form of a fan-shaped plume during displaying. The head of these birds is small, the neck is long. The male and female differ in plumage color and length of uppertail coverts. The sixth primary feather is longer than the others.

Common, or blue, peacock (Pavocristatus) very handsome. Its head, neck and forechest are purplish-blue with a golden or green tint. The back is green with a metallic sheen, blue strokes, brown spots and black feather edging; the loin and wing coverts are light rusty in color with black glossy transverse strokes, the tail is brown. The underside is black with grey-brown markings. The uppertail feathers are green with a bronze sheen and variegated rounded “ocellated” spots with a black spot in the center. The beak is pink, the legs are bluish-gray. The length of the male is 180-230 cm, the tail is 40-50 cm and the tail train is 140-160 cm.

The female has a strip near the eyes, the sides of the head and throat are white, the bottom of the neck, the upper back and chest are shiny, green, the rest of the upper body is earthy-brown with a light wavy pattern. On the head is a crest of brown feathers with a green sheen. The length of the female is 90-100, the tail is 32-37 cm. The common peacock (2 subspecies) is widespread in India and on the island of Sri Lanka. Subspecies black-winged peacock (Pavomuticus nigripennis) differs from the ordinary one in black shiny shoulders and wings with a bluish tint, and the female - in a lighter color of plumage; her back and neck are covered with brown and yellowish stains.

Or, here's an option:

Javanese peacock. Peacocks (Pavo Linnaeus, 1758) - a genus of large birds from the pheasant subfamily (lat. Phasianinae), order of galliformes (lat. Galliformes), other Russian names - blue-winged peacock, green peacock - one of two species of Asian peacocks that lives in the South-East Asia.

Javanese peacock. Peacocks (Pavo Linnaeus, 1758) - a genus of large birds from the pheasant subfamily (lat. Phasianinae), order of galliformes (lat. Galliformes), other Russian names - blue-winged peacock, green peacock - one of two species of Asian peacocks that lives in the South-East Asia.

Unlike the common peacock, the Javanese peacock is much larger and brighter in color, has metallic plumage and longer legs, neck and crest on the head. The elongated tail of peacocks is flat, while most pheasants are roof-shaped.

Thanks to the lush, fan-shaped eyed "tail", the peacock is known as the most beautiful bird among the galliformes.

A characteristic feature of the male peacock is the strong development of the upper tail coverts, usually mixed in society with the tail feathers or tail in the proper sense of the word.

There are two Asian species of peacocks, common and Javanese palin.

Although the ranges of the two Asian species (P. cristatus and P. muticus) do not overlap, hybrids between them often occur in captivity and are called Spalding - named after Keith Spalding, the first to cross cristatus and muticus . The offspring from these crosses are completely fertile.

Common, or Indian, or crested, peacock (Pavo cristatus Linnaeus 1758) is the most numerous species of peacocks. It is a monotypic species, that is, it is not divided into subspecies, but it has a number of color variations (mutations). Domesticated by man.

Javanese peacock, or gigantic, the peacock is the largest in the joy of chicken. In appearance, it resembles an ordinary peacock, but larger than it, in addition, it also differs in that its neck and chest are painted in greenish colors, and the crest on its head does not fan out - it consists of feathers pressed against each other and forming a dense high beam. The plume is similar to that of common peacocks. The females of these two species are very similar.

Javanese peacock lives in Southeast Asia, from Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to Java.

Peacocks raised in captivity become completely tame. They are kept by some Vietnamese bird lovers at home in the courtyard. Unlike the common peacock, the Javanese peacock is more aggressive towards its close and distant relatives, so males have to be kept in separate rooms for most of the year.

Females get along well with other pheasant birds. Due to the high aggressiveness of males, breeding of this species in captivity also becomes problematic. Protecting females, males sometimes jump on people, and you have to be careful with them, as they sometimes inflict injuries with their sharp spurs. The male with clipped wings "owns" a not so vast territory, but even with this "limitation" they make jumps of more than 1.8 m in height. Only large gardens or parks are really suitable for keeping these birds.

During the mating season, birds are placed in spacious enclosures with various shelters for females. The clutch is usually six eggs, the duration of incubation is 28 days. Young peacocks develop slowly and move on to an independent life at the age of at least eight weeks.

Male length 180-300 cm, wings 46-54 cm, tail 40-47 cm, train 140-160 cm. It weighs up to 5 kg.

The head and upper part of the neck are brownish-green. The crest consists of feathers with wider webs. The ocular region is bluish-gray in color.

The feathers of the lower part of the neck are green with golden-green borders and have a scaly pattern, the chest and upper back are bluish-green with reddish and yellow spots; the underside of the back is copper-bronze with brown markings, the shoulders and wings are dark green, the primary feathers are brown with black and gray spots on the outer side of the fan.

The tail feathers are light chestnut, and the highly elongated coverts are as bright and similar in color as those of the common peacock, but with a metallic copper-red tinge. The beak is black, the legs are gray.

The female differs little in color from the male, but smaller in size.

indian peacock(Pavo cristatus Linnaeus 1758) is the most numerous species of peacock. It is a monotypic species, that is, it is not divided into subspecies, but it has a number of color variations (mutations). The national bird of India is indian peacock(Pavo cristatus) is a brightly colored swan-sized bird with a fan-shaped tuft of feathers on its head, white spots under the eyes, and a long, thin neck. Chest and neck Indian peacock are covered with brilliant blue feathers, and the magnificent tail consists of long bronze-green feathers, of which there are about 200. Domesticated by man.

Body length of a common peacock ( Indian) 100-125 cm, tail 40-50 cm, elongated, decorated with "eyes" feathers of the uppertail 120-160 cm. The male weighs 4-4, 25 kg. The head, neck and part of the chest are blue, the back is green, the bottom of the body is black. The female is smaller, more modestly colored and lacks elongated uppertail feathers.

Lives in large or small flocks. It feeds mainly on plant foods, partly on animals (insects, mollusks, small vertebrates). Hardy and unpretentious in content. Life expectancy is about 20 years.

Polygamous bird: the male lives with a group of 3-5 females. Reaches sexual maturity at two to three years. The breeding season is from April to September.

Lays 4-10 eggs directly on the ground, in captivity makes up to three clutches per year. The egg incubation period is 28 days.

A young male of an ordinary (Indian) peacock from one to 1.5 years old wears an outfit similar to that of a female, and typical adult feathers fully develop in him only at the age of three years.

Widely distributed in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level, lives in the jungle and woodlands, on cultivated lands and near villages, preferring thickets of bushes, forest clearings and river banks.

By the beginning of the 20th century, peacocks were kept relatively rarely to decorate bird yards and parks, since it was believed that their unpleasant voice and the damage they caused in gardens did not correspond to the pleasure delivered by its sight. It is now often kept as an ornamental bird; in India - in a semi-domestic state.

In captivity, the common peacock is not particularly prolific, always retains a certain amount of independence, does not get along well with the rest of the poultry, but it can withstand even quite severe cold, suffering little from snow.

In India, hunting for peacocks is prohibited by law, but poachers hunt them for their beautiful feathers, as well as meat, which is mixed with chicken or turkey when sold.

white peacock. White peacock, or Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus Linnaeus 1758) is the most numerous species of peacocks. It is a monotypic species, that is, it is not divided into subspecies, but it has a number of color variations (mutations). Domesticated by man.

This variety of common peacock lives in southern India and Sri Lanka, has a brilliant white plumage with various shades and points on the wings; tail feathers are also completely white with large white spots separated by shade at the ends. The beak and legs of a white peacock are reddish. white peacock- like a bride who "acts like a peahen." Birds of this color have a very special charm: blue "eyes" in pure white plumage.

Characteristic of the male white peacock is a strong development of upper covert feathers

The food of peacocks consists of seeds, tender shoots of plants and invertebrates.. They willingly feed on the fields with seedlings of cultivated cereals, and when the berries ripen, they eat them in large quantities. Peacocks are able to catch and eat snakes or swallow small rodents.

These birds breed at different times depending on the geographical location of the area. In the south, the nesting season begins at the end of the rainy period, and in the north it lasts from April to July. Males protect a nesting area up to 1 ha, but females do not recognize its boundaries. The male has up to 3-5 females, which, after mating, leave him, arrange a nest under a bush or near uprooted tree roots and lay 5-7 large yellowish-white eggs. The basis of marital relations among peacocks is mating, harems break up after mating, and males do not participate in incubation and rearing of chicks.

Peacocks belong to one of the most beautiful and largest birds, so people paid attention to them in ancient times. Already in the parks of the Roman Caesars, they were kept as decorative birds, and meat seasoned with various spices was served on the table during the feast. And at present, peacocks are kept in parks and gardens as decorative birds.

Peacocks make loud, harsh calls that not everyone can bear.. Therefore, despite the beauty, these birds are rarely kept at home, but still lovers living in the southern regions of our country, especially in the Caucasus, give birth to peacocks.

Despite the prescription of domestication, the peacock is almost no different from its ancestors. In addition to birds with the usual color, there are only varieties with pure white plumage or with brown spots scattered over a white background with blue and purple edging. Sometimes such birds can be found in some areas and in the wild.

Peacocks easily tolerate acclimatization, are unpretentious to the conditions of detention, and are insensitive to rain and cold. In the south of our country, both in winter and in summer, they can spend the night on a tree or perch in the open. Only in especially severe winters they need to be kept in an insulated barn, however, in winter during the daytime, birds can be let out for a walk. Hobbyists need to know that peacocks can't get along with pheasants, domestic chickens and other chickens and can beat them to death.

Adult peacocks should be fed the same as domestic chickens. They willingly eat grain, root crops, meat, bread and other food. To keep birds, specially equipped enclosures are needed, in which high poles (up to 2-3 m) should be installed or trees should be planted. It is good to arrange a roof over the poles so that the birds can hide from rain and sun.

Domestic peacocks are easy to breed, but at the same time, one male should not have more than 3-4 females. Females start laying, depending on the weather, from April or May until the end of July. If eggs are taken all the time, up to 30 eggs can be collected from one female. In order for them to rush in one place, and not scatter eggs around the aviary, you need to build a nest in a secluded place - put a basket or box, and cover the bottom with straw.

Sometimes the female lays an egg while sitting on a perch, and it falls to the ground and breaks. In such cases, a thick layer of sawdust or sand is poured under the perch, but such eggs are unsuitable for hatching chicks (they can only be used for food).

For incubation, eggs should be placed under turkeys or chickens.. Female peacocks usually do not incubate well, but if one of them brought out the chicks, she warms them, looks for food for them and sleeps with them on a bough of a tree or perch. In cold rainy weather, they climb under her plumage so that only heads on a long neck peek out from there.

Immediately after hatching, the chicks are very tender: they are afraid of cold, dampness, rain and bright sun, so their care should be more thorough than for ordinary pheasant chicks. You need to feed the peacocks on the very first day of their life, as soon as they dry under the hen. The food for chicks is the same as for pheasants or chickens of domestic chickens, but with the addition of small mealworms and fresh herbs at first. As the chicks grow up, they are given millet grains, crushed wheat, barley, and oatmeal. At the age of 2 months. they already eat the same as adult peacocks, love berries and sweet fruits, consume animal feed: leftover meat, meat powder, curdled milk, insects and their larvae. Meat powder is given to them mixed with bread crumbs, pounded with hard-boiled eggs and flour, diluted with water. It is also very good to give boiled rice or millet porridge mixed with finely chopped onions or nettles.

A male peacock is a decoration of a park or home yard. Dressed in luxurious multi-colored plumage, he proudly walks in front of the females, shakes and moves his feathers, makes a slight rustle, spreads the elongated feathers of the upper tail like a fan. Mating postures and dances during the current last 15-20 minutes, in the rest of the year they are expressed in the same, but more short-term postures. The intensity of mating behavior is affected by the state of the weather: males are especially willing to lek in cool weather.

In September, peacocks molt. The male loses almost all the feathers of the rump, but still remains very beautiful. He keeps himself at this time more calmly.

PEACOCK - a symbol of pride, an emblem of beauty and immortality. In many countries, the peacock was considered a royal bird, and Hindus revere it as sacred. In the homeland of the peacock, in South Asia, it is highly valued for the fact that it warns of the approach of tigers, snakes and thunderstorms. It is believed that due to the beauty of its plumage, the peacock is able to "process" the poison of the snake struck by it.

In Russia, a completely different attitude has developed towards peacocks due to the fact that only rich people could breed them. Therefore, only in the Russian mind did the peacock become a symbol of arrogance and arrogance. The expression "spread its tail like a peacock" acquired the meaning of not only courtship, but also vanity, feigned pride.

According to Greek myth, the peacock was associated with the wife of Zeus, Hera. When Hermes killed the hundred-eyed Argos by lulling him to sleep by playing the flute, Hera revived him by transferring the eyes of Argos to the plumage of a peacock. Among the Romans, the peacock became an attribute of Juno, for which the Amoretti, winged babies, collected "eyes" from its tail. On Roman coins, the peacock was depicted as a sign of the divinity of the daughters of the emperor.

In early Christianity, the image of a peacock was associated with the symbolism of the sun and began to be perceived as a symbol of immortality, like a turtle in the East, and the beauty of an imperishable soul. In the Christian tradition, the "eyes" of the peacock sometimes symbolize the "all-seeing" Church. Since this bird periodically renews its plumage, it became a symbol of immortality, as well as resurrection, since there was a belief that its flesh did not rot, even after lying in the ground for three days. The peacock is also an attribute of the Christian Great Martyr Barbara (III century) and the allegory of Pride.

Peacock- the solar bird of India, a symbol of many gods, in particular the Buddha. At the level of Eastern emblematics, a peacock tail fan was considered a symbol of suffering and was an attribute of Avalokiteshvara, one of the main bodhisattvas of the Buddhist tradition. In China, during the Ming Dynasty, such a fan was awarded for high merit in the service of the emperor. In Islam, the "eye" of the peacock is associated with the "eye of the heart" and therefore with inner vision. The Indian god of love, Kama, was often depicted sitting on a peacock, which symbolizes passionate desires.

This idea of ​​passion finds its echo in the world of butterflies, where a male night peacock moth can scent a female several kilometers away. The pattern of his wings, reminiscent of numerous eyes, was perceived in Indian mythology as a picture of the starry sky. The symbolism of two peacocks on both sides of the cosmic tree came from ancient Persia to the Muslims, and from them to the West and means the psychic duality of a person who draws his strength from the principle of unity.

The tail of a peacock, including all the colors of the rainbow, was perceived as a universal symbol. For example, in Islam, the tail of a peacock, revealed in all its beauty, meant either the universe, or the full moon or the sun at its zenith. The peacock's tail appears in the 84th emblem of Bosch's "Symbolic Art" as an idea of ​​the whole and a sign of the union of all colors.

In alchemy, the “peacock's tail” is the second stage of the “great work”, when the “black of blacks” is covered with all the colors of the rainbow. In the alternation of the time of day, the peacock corresponds to twilight. With a snake in its beak, it signifies the victory of light over darkness.

In some countries, the peacock is considered a harbinger of trouble. Its feathers are called "the eyes of the devil" and "warn" of the appearance of a traitor. The most common superstition in England is that peacock feathers should not be kept at home: a catastrophe may befall the owner or his daughters will not marry. It is believed that the presence of a peacock on the stage can lead to the failure of the play. Perhaps all these prejudices are explained by the fact that the ever-open "eye" in the peacock feather is associated with the evil eye and, therefore, with bad luck.

In heraldry, the peacock was depicted with loose plumage, which in the language of heraldry, "blazon", was called "a peacock in its pride."

The peacock's tail, in particular, appears in the eighty-fourth emblem of Bosch's "Symbolic Art" as a symbol of the mixture of all colors, as well as the idea of ​​the whole. This explains why in Christian art it acts as a symbol of immortality and the incorruptible soul.

In Hindu mythology, the pattern of its wings, resembling countless eyes, is said to represent the starry sky.

A solar symbol associated with the cult of the tree and the Sun, as well as with the peon. Symbolizes immortality, longevity, love. A natural symbol of the stars in the sky and, as a result, ascension to Heaven and immortality. Associated with the storm, as he becomes restless before the rain, and his dance during the rain reflects the symbolism of the spiral. Loquacity, swagger, and vanity are relatively late connotations. Buddhism: compassion and vigilance. A fan of peacock feathers is an attribute of Avalokiteshvara, who is also identified with Kwan-yin and Amitabha, as a symbol of compassion. China: dignity, high rank, beauty. Attribute of Kuan-yin and Si Wan-Mu. The peacock feather was awarded upon receiving a high rank for merit and meant the favor of the emperor. Emblem of the Ming dynasty.

Christianity: immortality, resurrection, the soul glorified before the Lord, as the peacock renews its plumage, and its meat was considered incorruptible. "One Hundred Eyes" of the All-Seeing Church. It also symbolizes saints, since its tail resembles a halo. A peacock sitting on a sphere or power personified the ability to rise above worldly things. His pen is the emblem of Saint Barbara.

However, on the other hand, the Christian doctrine of a humble life led to the fact that the sins of pride, luxury and vanity began to be identified with the image of the peacock, therefore, in Western art, the peacock is most often the personification of Pride. In Russia, there was such an attitude towards peacocks: since only a very wealthy person could afford to breed these rare birds, all the qualities that were hated in the master were transferred to the "master's bird". Therefore, in Russia, the peacock is an emblem of arrogance, complacency and arrogance.

Ancient Greece: solar symbol, symbol of the bird-god Phaon "shaking". Initially - an attribute of Pan, then borrowed by the Hero as a symbol of the starry vault. The eyes of Argus were scattered by Hera over his tail. Hinduism: sometimes - the mount of Brahma; the peacock is also ridden by Lakshmi and the war god Skanda-Karttikeya; when the god of love Kama sits astride it, this symbolizes an impatient desire. The peacock is the emblem of the goddess of wisdom, music and poetry Saraswati. In Iran, peacocks standing on both sides of the Tree of Life signify dualism and the dual nature of man. It also symbolizes royal power: the throne of the Persian shahs was called the “peacock throne”. Islam: the light that "saw the self like a peacock with its tail spread". The eye of the peacock is associated with the Eye of the Heart. The Japanese Bodhisattva Kujaku-Mae always sits on a peacock. Rome: the bird of Juno with the same meaning as - in the case of Hera. Emblem of the Empress and daughters of the Emperor.

An ornamental bird originating from India, where it is, thanks to its luxurious fan-shaped tail. considered a symbol of the sun.
through Babylon. Persia and Asia Minor, she reached Samos and became a sacred bird there in the temple of Hera. In the 5th c. BC. in Athens, peacocks as an exotic rarity were shown for money, and in the 2nd century. BC. in Rome they were the sacred birds of Juno.
In India, some gods were depicted riding peacocks.

In the West, the peacock was considered a slayer of snakes, and the iridescent colors of the tail were attributed to its ability to turn snake venom into solar substance.
In the East, the Yezidi Kurdish sect (“devil worshipers”) regard the peacock as Melek Taus (King Peacock), the messenger of God: in Islam, it is considered a symbol of the cosmos or the large celestial bodies of the Sun and Moon.

In early Christianity, positive interpretations of the peacock were also preferred. Its meat was considered incorruptible (a symbol of Christ in the tomb), the loss of feathers and their new growth in the spring was equally seen as a symbol of renewal and resurrection. The ancient folk belief continued to operate, according to which the blood of a peacock casts out demons. Quite often, the peacock was depicted in the images of the grotto in Bethlehem, where Christ was born: two peacocks that drink from the same cup indicate spiritual rebirth, and cherubs often find four wings of peacock feathers. The "eyes" of peacocks were understood as an indication of divine omniscience, peacock meat until modern times was considered food that gives strength to the sick. Negative traits are noted in the text of the early Christian Physiologus: The peacock “walks about, looks at himself with pleasure and shakes his plumage, puts on airs and looks arrogantly around him. But if he looks at his paws, he will scream angrily, because they do not match the rest of his appearance. If a Christian, such is the symbolic interpretation, sees his own virtues, he may rejoice; “But when you see your feet, namely your flaws, then turn to God with a complaint and hate injustice, as a peacock hates his paws, so that you appear before the (heavenly) justified bridegroom.”

This launches into circulation the symbolic meaning that is usual for today, which since the Middle Ages in books about animals ("Bestiaries") makes the peacock a bird symbolizing vanity, luxury and arrogance (arrogance). This also meant a spiritual preacher. “When a peacock is praised, he raises and spreads his tail, just as another preacher, when praised by flatterers, exalts his spirit in vainglorious majesty. If he raises his tail, then his bottom is exposed, and he becomes a laughing stock when he swaggers arrogantly. This means that the peacock must keep its tail low, so that everything that the teacher does, humbly fulfill ”(Unterkircher). In the Baroque era, in the images of scenes of the Way of the Cross to Golgotha, Jesus, stripped of his clothes, atones for people for the sin of vanity, which is represented by a peacock placed nearby.
Among the minnesingers, this bird was considered the embodiment and personification of arrogance, arrogant pride (“He walked proudly back and forth, just like a peacock,” Hugo Trimbergsky).

In China, a positive interpretation was borrowed from the Indian region (Goddess Saraswati rides a peacock, Indra sits on a peacock throne), the peacock personifies beauty and dignity, drives out evil forces and dances at the sight of beautiful women. Peacock feathers were the hallmark of the Manchu emperor and were exhibited in vases. Peacocks were also kept in the Chinese garden.
In the figurative world of alchemy, the iridescent peacock tail in some texts and images is considered a sign of the emerging transformation of lower substances into higher ones. in others - a symbol of an unsuccessful process, which brings with it only slag (caput mortuum - a dead head).

In heraldry, the peacock appears only occasionally (for example, the heraldic figure of the counts von Wied, the treasure helmet of the counts von Ortenburg, the peacock tail as the treasure helmet of the archdukes of Austria, the peacock fan as an adornment of the heraldic helmets of the princes von Schwarzenberg, the counts von Henneberg, etc.), and , naturally, a positive interpretation of the image of a peacock (resurrection, radiance) was assumed here.
Shining glory, immortality, greatness, incorruptibility, pride.
The sparkling splendor of the tail of the male peacock is the reason for comparing him with the immortal gods, and therefore with immortality.
Since snakes were considered enemies of the sun in Iranian symbolism, the peacock was believed to kill snakes in order to use their saliva to create iridescent bronze-green and blue-gold "eyes" on its tail feathers. Added to this legend was the idea that peacock meat is indestructible.
In Islamic decorative art, the unity of opposites (the sun at its zenith next to the full moon) was depicted as two peacocks under the World Tree.
Peacocks are widely known as an emblem of greatness, royalty, spiritual superiority, an ideal creation.

In Persia, the shah's court was called the "peacock throne".

From here, from the East, the image of a peacock or simply a peacock feather in a knight's hat came to Europe as a symbol of his high moral thoughts.
Some contradiction can be seen in the fact that the Indian Mars, the god of war Kartikeya, the son of the wise Shiva, rides a peacock, but in fact there is no contradiction here: if you read the ancient Indian books on military art, we will see that then there will be no war. were a means of mass extermination of people, which were the wars of the 20th century - rather, they were tournaments, something similar to knightly competitions in Europe.
They tried to make these competitions as magnificent and spectacular as possible. Often, as if everything proceeded according to a pre-arranged scenario, a bloody fight between representatives of deadly warring clans ended suddenly with the betrothal of a young man and a girl from both clans and a holiday that could last for weeks.

Symbolism and a deep perception of the surrounding world are combined in Art Nouveau with surprisingly expressive and beautiful external forms and images that are not often considered from the point of view of philosophy. When I studied at the university, it was customary to talk about Modern as a bourgeois, superficially overly aestheticized and superficial style. In fact, the choice of subjects in the era of Art Nouveau was absolutely not accidental and deeply thought out, because all the artists who worked then, with rare exceptions, had a deep academic education, which involved knowledge of both mythology and symbolism. If we take into account the general enthusiasm for the culture of the East, at that time, then we can imagine what an interesting cultural and historical mix underlies the philosophy of Art Nouveau.

Peacock - symbolizes the colorful diversity of the world. The peacock is often made the personification of infinite diversity, a cheerful spirit with which God created this earth, having fun as he wanted.
In Indian mythology, when Krishna and Radha - two incarnations of the god Vishnu - dance and play in the eternal joy of love, peacocks look at them. There are cult toys, for example: Krishna and Radha swing on a swing, and again we see peacocks on the swing posts. The motley peacock seems to be telling us: no matter how hard life is, no matter what unpleasant surprises it brings us, it is inevitable, we must find joy in life and believe that its diversity will always allow us to find a positive edge. At the Indian court, the peacock always accompanied the image of both deities - Krishna and Radha - and was a symbol of an exemplary life of love and beauty.

In heraldry, the peacock is depicted with loose plumage. In "blazon" (the language of heraldry) it is called "a peacock in its pride".

Tausin - peacock stone (from the Persian "tausi") was called labradorite in Russia for its resemblance to the play of peacock plumage. The nobility of St. Petersburg wore rings, rings and snuff boxes made of this stone, and the ladies showed outfits made of iridescent "taausin" silk. However, the “tausine fashion” lasted until 1835, when the discovery of the richest labradorite deposit in Ukraine depreciated this mineral.

The peacock is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, birds on the planet.

His appearance causes admiration and some amazement when it becomes known that we are talking about the closest relative of an ordinary chicken.

This bird is a mandatory resident of any zoo.

But all of the above applies to males, but we know much less about females.

Female peacock: what is the name and what does the bird look like

Pava, which is the name of the female peacock, looks less colorful than her husband. There are no bright colors in her coloring and she is devoid of a luxurious tail.
Of the decorations, only a semblance of a colorful necklace on the neck of blue or green color (depending on the breed) can be distinguished. In contrast to the bright crown that crowns the head of the male, the head of the female has only a modest dull crown.

However, one should not assume that the pava is ugly, it is simply not as bright as the male. Particularly beautiful are the large expressive pava eyes on a neat head. It will not be difficult to distinguish it from the male: dull color, lack of tail feathers, smaller sizes.

Did you know? In the countries of the East, peacocks are a symbol of immortality, splendor and pride. In oriental tales and legends, they are often referred to as messengers of the gods.

The common Indian peacock has a blue color with a tint. The neck and head are more pronounced blue, and the back has a green tint. The ends of the wings are painted orange. The body length of the bird reaches 1.2 m, and the length of the tail plumage is 1.6 m. The crest is blue.
The peahen is much smaller in size, there is no uppertail at all, the color of the feathers throughout the body is gray, the crest is brown. The neck of the pava is blue in color with a beautiful steel sheen.

There are two more varieties of Indian peacock - black or black-shouldered and white. Previously, they were isolated as a separate breed, but Charles Darwin proved that these are just color mutations.

The birds have no difference in the size of the body, and as for the color, the black peacock has a black wing. The female of such a peacock is painted beige, the area near the tail is slightly darker.

White peacocks are not albinos, although they have an amazing white color. Males have blue eyes, while females have blue eyes. We can say that the pava of a white peacock is a blue-eyed blonde.

Green

This species is noticeably larger than the Indian peacock. The male can be 2–3 m long. Beautiful tail feathers reach 1.65 m in length. The color of the bird cannot be called green in the literal sense of the word, it is rather blue with a pronounced green tint. There may be inclusions of a brown-red spectrum.
The color of females is about the same color, but they are smaller in size, they even have feathers, but much shorter. There is a crest on the peahen's head, but small and dull.

Important!Peacocks, when properly maintained and fed, can live up to 20 years in captivity. Females become sexually mature by the age of 3, by the same time the male tail feathers have fully grown.

The Congolese or African peacock is the only endemic of the pheasant subfamily living in Africa. The bird has not yet been domesticated, that is, as a result of many years of existence next to a person, it has not undergone any evolutionary changes.
The male reaches 65–70 cm in length, the female - 60–62 cm. The male is colored green with a bronze tint, the neck is black with a red throat, the head is black with a crest. The tail feathers have an eye similar to that of Indian relatives.

Pava is colored green with tint and light stripes. The neck is red, the head has no plumage, brown.

Pav lifestyle and habitat

Peacocks live in the same place as male peacocks, and eat, respectively, the same. But their way of life is different, depending on the species.

Indian (common peacock)

The bird is native to India and the island of Ceylon. There, they can still be found in the wild, although birds prefer to hide from humans. Their favorite habitat is thickets of bushes or sparse forest. You can meet these birds on various plantations, where they wander to eat cereals.
They live in packs, since one male needs several peahens. During the day they hide in shady thickets, and with the onset of evening they look for an overnight stay in the trees.

From the diet, cereals are most preferred for them. Since India is a rice country, it is easy to guess which cereal these birds have chosen the most. Although they can eat other grains, as well as greens, small vertebrates or insects.

Green

The species has become widespread in Indonesia (Java), Indochina, northern and eastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and some other parts of Southeast Asia.
The population of green peacocks is much smaller than that of the common peacock. Currently considered an endangered species, there are 16-32 thousand individuals left.

Quite often in nature, 8–10 females are content with one male. Peacocks of this species are not much different from Indian ones in terms of nutrition: they prefer the same grains, greens, etc. They choose forests for habitat, they can fly short distances, run quite quickly.

Did you know? There are 3 varieties of green peacock: Indochinese, Burmese and Javanese, the last of which in 1940 became the national symbol of Myanmar (formerly Burma).

It lives in the Congo basin in humid mountain forests. The species is monogamous. Nests prefer to equip in stumps, branches of trees. The peahen lays 2 to 4 eggs and sits on them. The male at this time takes care of her and protects the offspring. The incubation period is 25–27 days.

Features of reproduction and mating games

Birds reach sexual maturity by 3 years. At this time, peahens are ready for mating. Females for breeding are most suitable for the second half of spring and summer. In captivity, with the right content, each peahen is able to lay 6-12 eggs.

When the peahen is ready to mate, the male begins to show her his beautiful mating dance. It is believed that the female does not necessarily choose the most beautiful male. The dance of the peacock is a kind of sign showing that everything is in order with the male.

In order to finally convince the young lady, the male turns his back to her, demonstrating his dignity. If the peahen finds it suitable, the birds start mating.

Thus, the male needs a beautiful color to attract females, but the pave itself does not need it. Such a coloring would only harm her at the moment when she sits on her eggs, since bright plumage can attract predators.

4 weeks after laying eggs, chicks hatch, not at all like the beauties that they will become. Chicks develop much faster than their peers brought by other poultry. After 7-9 days, the chicks are already on the wing.
For normal development, they need proper feeding and fresh water. Young peacocks eat the same food as their parents, although at first it will be a good idea to introduce sour-milk products, eggs and oatmeal into their diet. Up to 6 months, it is desirable to give young animals vitamins and anti-coccidiosis agents.