Have you ever seen a Peacock dance? Have you ever been mesmerized by the Peacock’s colourful tail making a semi-circle of vigour colours? But did you know the differences between male and female peacocks?
Surprised?
Peacocks are male birds, whereas peahens are female counterparts. Size, colouring, and personality quirks are just some of the ways in which these avians diverge from one another. When courting, male peacocks will demonstrate behaviours such as wing-shaking and train-rattling, as well as being bigger and more colourful than their female counterparts.
In this article, we have listed below a few differences that will help you to distinguish between the male and female peacock the next time you spot one.
1. Difference in Color
The colour of the Peacock’s tail feathers is a prominent indicator of sex in this species. A male peacock’s feathers are often an iridescent, vivid blue. Male peacocks are able to attract females with their flashy display of blue feathers. Feminine birds often have more muted plumage, including tones of grey, cream, and brown.
Moreover, the bellies of females are white, while those of males are various colours of blue that match their plumage. The female has the upper hand when it comes to concealment or escaping predators, despite the fact that the male is more visually appealing.
2. The Size Distinction
There is a size disparity between male and female peacocks that is easily observable. In comparison to their male counterparts, female peacocks (known as peahens) are much smaller. Male peacocks may reach a maximum length of 4 1/2 feet and a maximum weight of 13 pounds.
Female peacocks may be up to 9 pounds in weight and can be anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 feet in length. Both sexes have spurs, although males often get them first and grow them out to their full length. Female spurs are also notably shorter and blunter.
3. Markings and Feathers
The male Peacock’s tail is hidden by more than 200 covert feathers at the top of its back. Males may, in certain circumstances, develop feathers that seem like scales located on their backs just above the coverts. Female peacocks are distinguished from males by a brown or solid-coloured back and a neck covered with scale-like feathers.
It’s worth noting that the male Peacock has a long tail of feathers that ends in an eyespot (ornamental ocellus) at the very end. During courting, male peacocks spread their feathers to entice a possible mate. Aside from feathers, both male and female peacocks have unique white patterns around their eyes. The white markings above and below the male Peacock’s eyes are more noticeable, whilst the female’s markings tend to blend in with their feathers and skin colour.
4. Tail Length
A male peacock may be identified from a female by the length of its tail feathers. Feathers on a male peacock’s tail may grow to be as long as five feet. Female peacocks don’t have a train of feathers, whereas the male’s feathers come in a rainbow of hues. The female has a short tail with brown and cream-coloured feathers. About 60% of a male peacock’s entire body length is taken up by the tail feathers. Courtship displays from male peacocks include raising the tail into a fan form. Females may erect their tails in the same ways, although they do it more often to communicate danger to their babies or to demonstrate dominance when competing for a partner.
5. Dissimilar Behaviour
Male peacocks tend to be more solitary than females, which is one of the major behavioural differences between the sexes in the wild. During mating season, male and female peacocks also display significant behavioural variations. To attract a mate, male peacocks would shake their wings and rattle their tails.
Males often perform a semi-circular tail display near plants for the benefit of female observers who may be quite some distance away. During mating season, females are more dominant and may engage in fierce competition with one another to get the services of the most desirable males. Female peacocks, in contrast to males, perform all the work of caring for the young, including incubating the eggs and constructing the nests.
6. Nose and the Head
Feathers on a peacock’s long, graceful neck give the impression of plush blue fur. Peahens, like guinea fowl, have long necks, but theirs are covered in scales rather than hair and tend to be a blue or greenish colour.
Above and below, the eyes of both sexes are marked in white; however, the marks below the eyes of females often blend in with their skin tone, making them less noticeable than those of men. There is also sexual dimorphism in the peafowl’s crown crest. Long shafts extend from the bird’s head and are tipped with tufts of feathers to form the crest. Boys’ crest feathers tend to be blue, while females are more likely to be tan or brown.
7. Actions
Every day, male and female peafowl go about their lives in distinct ways. When a male wants to attract a female’s attention or impress her in a field with a lot of thick grass or foliage, he will spread his tail out. While females don’t fanned their tail feathers, they do ruffle them while fighting or warning other peafowl of impending danger. Males prefer to be alone, while females are busy throughout the day caring for young and constructing nests. Male peafowls are more territorial and less social than females.
8. Lifespan
Although peahens and peacocks are very different in appearance, they share many characteristics with one another, including a relatively long lifetime. The average lifespan of a peacock or peahen is 20 years.
Both species live longer when kept in captivity than in the wild because of the absence of predators. Furthermore, unlike in the wild, where peafowl must seek for food, there will always be food available to them in captivity.
9. Personality
Peacocks and peahens are common sights at zoos, where they are kept as captive exhibits. They might also be found in other protected natural areas. Furthermore, they are rising in abundance on farms due to their capacity to warn other animals of oncoming predators.
However, neither peacocks nor peahens make suitable pets. They are much too dirty, and their habitat demands are far bigger than what the usual backyard provides.
If you do have a hobby farm and are tempted to get a peacock, it’s wiser to go for a peahen. Peacocks are noisy and somewhat more aggressive. While peahens are talkative, peacocks become much more boisterous during mating time.
Conclusion
If you encounter a bunch of peafowls gathered together again, you should be able to tell within a few minutes which ones are the males and which ones are the ladies by keeping the above-stated things in mind.
