Afternoons with My Peafowl
Here at Cantitoe Corners, my Bedford, New York farm, afternoons are for the peafowl.
It’s always such a joy to see these gorgeous birds growing and thriving. They are curious, friendly, and love to wander the premises, foraging for food and checking out all the activity. Peafowl usually travel in groups and often play together, especially under the sunlight. I currently have 17 peacocks and peahens that live in a pen near my stable. Every day around lunchtime, they are let out of their enclosure for a few hours to roam and explore. They love to walk between the paddocks, and up to my greenhouse. They also visit my Winter House terrace to see if I'm home. And then just before sundown, they walk back to their safe and warm coop.
Enjoy these photos and the short video.
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- My peafowl are so friendly. Most of them were hatched right here at the farm, so they are very accustomed to people. My peafowl are let out of their pen after all the dogs and cats have been exercised. Here’s one looking for a treat.
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- The term “peacock” is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. However, technically only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl. This is a peacock on top of the stone wall behind my stable.
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- Here are two peahens and a peacock walking over from their pen to join their friends by the potted trees.
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- There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock from India and Sri Lanka, and the green peacock found in Java and Myanmar. A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests.
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- Peafowl are happiest when living in small groups. They often walk around following each other and then stop to forage together.
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- Males are generally twice the size of females. Males also look especially larger when displaying their fancy plumage. When peacocks are not displaying their tail feathers, or trains, they drag behind them.
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- Peahens are noticeably smaller and mostly dull in color.
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- All peacocks and peahens are omnivores and ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures.
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- Here is a male showing his vibrant eye shaped markings of blue, green, and gold. Microscopic, crystal-like structures in the feathers reflect different wavelengths of light creating the bright, fluorescent colors.
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- Peacocks display their tails during courtship. When threatened, they also fan their tails out in order to look larger and intimidating. When the peacock quivers his feathers, they emit a low-frequency sound inaudible to humans. The peacock can change the sound to communicate different messages. Males shed their train each year after mating season.
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- Here is my handsome all white peacock – so majestic. He also seems to be the leader of the group – wherever he goes, the rest will follow.
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- On this day, my outdoor grounds crew was repotting the growing young trees kept behind the stable. The peafowl are always so curious and always come up close to see what is happening.
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- Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their heads called a corona. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.
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- Peafowl are very smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever. Once acclimated to their surroundings, they tend to stay where they are well-fed and well-protected at night. They actually walk back to their enclosure at the end of the day.
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- As beautiful as peafowl are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowl have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. And, with their sharp eyesight, peafowl are quick to see predators and call out alarms. Oftentimes, I can hear them from across the farm.
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- Most peacocks will do all their exploring on foot. This trio is walking through the cobblestone courtyard in front of my stable – I wonder where they are headed next.
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- Peafowl also have acute hearing, but can be poor at discerning from what direction certain sounds originate.
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- And here is the white peacock in the allee of lindens.
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- Meanwhile, a “train show” is going on nearby. The giant tail feathers of the male spread out over 60-percent of the peacock’s body length.
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- Not by just one, but two – whose train is bigger? It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird’s back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains. I love to see their show – check out the video below.
In this video, two mature peacocks are displaying their stunning and iridescent tail feathers. It is not quite mating season yet, but these birds are strutting back and forth shaking their feathers and hindquarters to produce a rattling sound for the females.
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