Colorful Creatures: Fun Facts About Peacocks
If there's one animal that knows how to stand out, it's the peacock.
In fact, if you were to see one in the wild, the first thing you'd probably notice is its large, colorful tail. Peacocks have over 150 feathers in their tails, which can be more than 1.5 meters long.
And did you know all peacocks are male?
Only the males are actually 'peacocks'
While the word "peacock" is often used to refer to the bird in general, it's technically only the males that are called this. Females are known as "peahens," and the general word for the bird is "peafowl." A baby peafowl is called a "peachick"!
It's only the peacocks — the males — that have colorful tail feathers. Peahens have some color on their bodies, but their tail feathers are much shorter, and mostly brown or gray.
However, as they get older and their bodies stop producing as much estrogen, some peahens actually start to look and sound more like peacocks!
They aren't born colorful
When they're first born, peacocks and peahens look the same. It takes a few months for a peacock's colors to start coming out, and it takes up to three years for them to fully grow their colorful tails.
Their tails don't stop them from swimming
Many people think peacocks can't swim, because their long feathers will pull them down when they get wet. But while it's true that their feathers and bodies aren't made for water, peacocks actually can swim — they just don't usually do it unless they have to!
Like many birds, peafowl are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. While they eat insects and small animals, peafowl have also been known to kill and eat snakes — including venomous ones!
The peacock is even the national bird of India, where it's known in folklore as an important killer of snakes.
