Breeding Season for the Peafowl
It’s a very special time of year for the peafowl at my Bedford, New York farm.
Currently, I have 17 peacocks and peahens in a large coop located just outside my stable. Starting in late February and running until early August, the peacocks display their stunning tail feathers, dance, and call out to attract the females. The peahens tend to choose males with the longest, most colorful tails - it’s always very interesting to watch their mating rituals. Many of you comment on how much you enjoy the posts on the animals at my farm, so I thought it was a good time to share this update on my gorgeous birds.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- My peafowl coop is fully enclosed to protect them from predators. It is difficult to see, but I devised a way to also keep them from flying out of their pen – we ran monofilament fishing line across the top from one side to the other. The lines keep predators out, but they don’t take away from the beautiful skies above.
-
- As you may know, peafowls are members of the pheasant family. There are two Asiatic species – the blue or Indian peafowl native to India and Sri Lanka, and the green peafowl originally from Java and Burma, and one African species, the Congo peafowl from African rain forests. These are two peahens. All my peafowl are Indian.
-
- While these birds are ground feeders and ground nesters, they still enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators at night. My outdoor birds all have access to natural perches made from old felled trees here at the farm. It is important that they have a variety of perches upon which to roost. The peacocks and peahens have these “planted” trees both inside and outside their coop.
-
- Because most of these peahens have grown up here, they are all very accustomed to the crew and always love visitors. These peahens came right to the door to see who was visiting.
-
- Peacocks and peahens are very smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever and very curious. I think this peahen is hoping for some treats.
-
- Peafowl are so beautiful – especially the males with their long tails, but do not underestimate their power. These birds are extremely strong with very sharp spurs. Full-grown, peafowl can weigh up to 13-pounds.
-
- Here is a closer look at the gorgeous eyespots on this mature male’s tail feathers.
-
- All birds always find the highest perch – here is a peahen on one of the cross beams in the coop.
-
- And my bronze peacock is on another one of the indoor trees. Bronze peafowl are very rare – not all breeders will have them. This male is so beautiful. He has chocolate brown tail feathers.
-
- And this silver pied peacock has white feathers with blue and green markings.
-
- An indoor ladder provides another nice roosting spot for this India blue peahen. On the right is one of two nesting boxes in the coop. The boxes are checked for eggs every day.
-
- Peafowls are very hardy birds, and even though they are native to warm climates, they do very well in cold weather as long as they have access to dry areas away from strong winds. These birds will spend most of their days outdoors, and nights in their coop where it is warm and cozy. Both male and female peafowl have the fancy crest atop their heads called a corona.
-
- All peacocks and peahens will look you in the eye, but if you stare at them or seem aggressive in body movements, they will feel threatened. I love how friendly all my peafowl are with people.
-
- These birds are so photogenic with their iridescent blue necks – so handsome.
-
- This young male still has some growing to do, but here he is fanning his short feathers.
-
- One can see him trying hard to attract these peahens. He won’t have his full tail until at least three years of age. Peahens usually choose males that have bigger, healthier plumage with an abundance of eyespots.
-
- He also starts to do the ritualistic dance.
-
- The peacock turns in circles showing off his tail. This display is known as “train-rattling.”
-
- The stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised. During this particular display, the females did not give much attention to the young male.
-
- As beautiful as peafowl are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowls have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. And, with their sharp eyesight, peafowls are quick to see predators and call out alarms. Oftentimes, I can hear them all the way from my Winter House.
-
- The birds get a healthy mix of cornmeal, soybean, and wheat. I also feed the birds spinach, cabbage, and squash. In the wild, peacocks are omnivores – they eat insects, plants, and small creatures. They do most of their foraging in the early morning and evening.
-
- A few minutes later, the mature males start fanning their tails. Researchers found that the longer the train feathers, the faster the males would shake them during true courtship displays, perhaps to demonstrate muscular strength.
-
- No matter the species, these male creatures boast impressively sized and patterned plumage as part of the courtship ritual – it’s so interesting to watch.
-
- After breeding season ends in August, the males lose their long tail feathers and then grow them all back before the next breeding season begins. The train gets longer and more elaborate until five or six years old when it reaches maximum splendor.
And here is a video of one of the males doing the mating dance - listen closely to hear the rustling of its tail feathers.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
