Why does a peacock need such a big and bright tail? When and why does a peacock spread its gorgeous tail? Why does a peacock spread its tail?

The peacock is a bird that is the largest representative of the gallinaceae order.

What is this bird? Here's what! The peacock is the largest representative of its order and genus; it has a rather strong physique, long neck, a small head with a peculiar crest - a corolla. The peacock's wings are short, like all representatives of the order, but the legs are quite long, which is one of distinctive features peacock Female peacocks have a short tail. And the males have unusually beautiful tails and are disproportionately long with the body.

It was the tails of the males that created such fame for this bird. Indeed, the peacock has something to be proud of. His tail is amazing and luxurious. When the peacock spreads it like a fan, the audience freezes with delight. In this “big-eyed” tail you can see all the iridescent shades. It harmoniously combines green, reddish, blue tones. A peacock with its tail spread is an incredibly impressive sight. And for sure, it was precisely because of his loose tail that the ancient Greeks and Romans considered the peacock a sacred bird.

The peacock is a completely common sight in India and Ceylon. These birds are lovers of tall and heavily overgrown forests near water and grassy slopes. On tall trees peacocks spend the night. And they feed during the day, looking for food for themselves in the grass. Peacocks love to visit rice plantations and other cultivated fields. There they feed on grains.

The peacock runs fast, and, as you remember, he has long legs. And here amazing fact– despite its long tail, the peacock handles it incredibly deftly, and makes its way through the dense thickets without slowing down its running speed.

Peacocks have a highly developed sense of smell and reaction. He's very careful. At the slightest danger, the peacock instantly reacts and hides in dense thickets bushes.

Peacocks, like their closest relatives chickens, nest on the ground, arranging for themselves cozy nest in depressions in the soil. Peacocks acquire the ability to reproduce only in the third year of life.

And this is where the fun begins. An adult male peacock begins to spread his tail. If an outside observer appears, he will think that the peacock is showing off in front of him and showing his pride.

But this is not true at all. Peacocks are males during mating season begin to attract females. Without her consent, no male will have sex with her. marital relations. So, in order to lure the chosen one, the peacock performs mating dance, and unfurls its beautiful tail, which is the main trump card in the process of inviting a female. Further, the male necessarily looks for the best treat in the grass for his beloved, and if the female accepts this treat, the goal is achieved, consent is obtained, victory is won!

So the reason for the peacock's tail spreading is not at all his pride, as many people think. This is just a natural instinct that makes us admire not only us humans, but also the females of these beautiful birds.

The peacock, for all its beauty, has one single drawback. This flaw is hidden in his larynx. The peacock's voice is like the eerie creaking of an ungreased cart. Therefore, during the mating dance and flirting with his chosen one, the peacock is always silent. After all, if he speaks, his beloved will not only not let him come to her, she will run away from him and hide in the dense thicket forever.

Peacock It is considered the most beautiful bird in the world, and the peacock's tail is of extraordinary beauty. Common peacock ( Pavo cristatus), or Indian peacock, is the most numerous species peacocks, belongs to the order Galliformes, the pheasant family, the genus Peacocks.

Although Indian peacocks are members of the order Gallinae, this species has been shown to be genetically closer to (Meleagris gallopavo) than to (Gallus gallus).

Description of the peacock and photographs

Common peacocks have a long graceful neck and a small head with a small crest: males have a blue crest, while females have a brown crest, matching the color of their plumage. The peacock's voice is harsh and not very pleasant. The body length of a male peacock reaches 100-125 cm, the length of the tail is 40-50 cm, while the length of the upper tail coverts is 120-160 cm. The weight of a male peacock is 4 – 4.25 kg. The plumage of this beautiful bird contains a wide variety of colors: the back is green, the head, part of the chest and neck are blue, and the underbody is black. The female Indian peacock is smaller and has a more modest, brown color.

Peacock tail

A riot of plumage colors and luxurious fan-shaped ocellates tail created the peacock's image the most beautiful bird in the world. It is interesting that only males can boast of such beautiful tails; females of this species are less fortunate. Their plumage is not fragrant with colors, but consists only of grayish-brown tones. Ornithologists call this sexual dimorphism. It turns out that what we call a peacock's tail is actually nothing more than the feathers of the upper tail. It's all about the growth and placement of the feather. Shorter feathers cover longer ones, reaching one and a half meters in length. The feather consists of sparse thread-like fibers with a bright “eye” at the end.

Peacock is the most beautiful bird in the world

Peacocks are the most beautiful and large birds in the world, this is what determines human interest in this species. As an exotic miracle, they were kept in Roman parks, first for aesthetic purposes, and then they were caught and served at the table during magnificent feasts. Common peacock meat was seasoned with various spices, it was considered one of the most delicious meat dishes. Nowadays, peacocks are kept exclusively as ornamental birds.

Peacocks can fly

When danger approaches, an ordinary peacock can take off, but the flight will not be long and high: only a few meters ahead.

Types of peacocks

The Indian peacock is not divided into species, but has a huge range of color variations (mutations). The following colors of peacocks are distinguished:

• Wild
• White
• Black-shouldered (black-winged, varnished)
• Motley
• Dark motley
• Cameo, or silvery dun
• Cameo black-shouldered or oatmeal
• White peephole
• Carbonic
• Lavender
• Bronze Buford
• Purple
• Opal
• Peach
• Silver motley
• Midnight
• Yellowish green

The United Peacock Breeding Association officially identifies only 10 primary colors (wild, white, cameo, charcoal, purple, bronze Buford, peach, opal, midnight yellowish green), 5 secondary colors (wild - striped wing, black shoulder, mottled, white eye , silver mottled), as well as 20 variations of the main colors and 185 varieties of the common peacock, which appear as a result of mixing the main colors and their variations.

Where do peacocks live?

The common (Indian) peacock lives in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. IN wildlife Peacocks try to avoid open areas; they settle in jungles or forests, near villages and on cultivated lands, live in dense bushes and on river banks. Having a long tail, the peacock bird can move quickly enough even in thickets.

The peacock owes its popularity precisely to its ability to spread its tail. One of the wonders of the animal world does not happen to amaze us with its beauty. The phenomenon of a bird's multi-colored plume blooming has a scientific explanation. What a peacock's tail is and why the male spreads his feathers can be found out in this article.

What is commonly called the tail is actually the upper tail of the bird. A train of long beautiful feathers grows from the back of the male. And the modest and inconspicuous tail of birds serves to maintain the “fan” in a loose state.

The peacock's tail (we'll still call it that) is significantly longer than the bird itself and can reach 160 cm. The length of the peacock along with the tail is on average 220 cm. When open, the peacock's "fan" reaches a width of 300 cm. Feathers made from which it consists of are very large and dense. Depending on the type of bird, the color scheme of the rump has several shades: from blue and green to gold and completely white. At the end, the plumage is the densest in composition and resembles a fan. This is where the bright “eye” is located, which has interesting coloring book with transitions from a lighter border to a dark pupil.

One tail can hold up to 170 "eyes".

What did nature take care of or why does a peacock need a train?

Why does a peacock have such a big and bright tail? Scientists are increasingly coming to the conclusion that birds need a tail in order for natural selection to occur.

Peacocks move quite deftly, not paying attention to the “burden” and can even fly if necessary. But without a tail, birds could be much more agile. If a representative of a species is not strong and hardy enough, it is unlikely that he will be able to escape from a predator. Thus the survival of the fittest.

To procreate, the female subconsciously chooses the male with the largest and most beautiful tail. Nature made sure that she had a decent choice.

Female representatives themselves do not have such a privilege as a train of long multi-colored feathers. This is also not without reason. A peahen hatching chicks should not attract the attention of predators.

Reasons why a peacock opens its feathers

Many people, having come to the zoo and found a bird with a folded train, ask the question: how to make a peacock open its “fan”? The answer is simple - not at all. It is only possible to try to catch birds communicating, dividing territory or mating dances.

There may be several reasons for such a phenomenon as a peacock’s tail blooming:

1. Mating dance. The main purpose of a bright and voluminous decoration is to attract the attention of the peahen. The peacock opens its tail, showing it to its beloved in all its glory, and taking spectacular poses. The male performs the dance until the female pays attention to him, after which the peacock turns away. The peahen must evaluate the condition of the peacock's tail feathers and the uppertail of the suitor (how many feathers are there, their appearance and color) and make a final decision. When the bride gives her consent, the groom presents her with food and mating occurs.
2. Division of territory. During the mating season, each bird strives to capture the most advantageous place. The males show each other their magnificence until one of them forces the enemy to retreat. Conflict over territory can also arise with other birds and animals. In a private household, a peacock placed in the same pen with other representatives of the fauna may spread its feathers in an attempt to conquer territory.
3. Protection of offspring from predators. To distract the attention of predators from the nest and the female, the peacock needs to open its tail. The distracted hunter rushes after the male, who folds his feathers and runs into cover (thickets). The female hides the chicks at this time.
4. Communication with relatives. Birds transmit signals to each other using infrasound, which occurs when feathers vibrate. When a peacock performs a mating dance, it changes the angle of its feathers and shakes its tail to convey a signal to the female and catch her response. Dialogue between rivals occurs in the same way.

In the animal world there are certain laws according to which the species lives and develops. These laws were once studied by Darwin and reflected in his world-famous theory of natural selection. According to this theory, within each animal species there is a natural, natural selection individuals most adapted to survival. Among the males there is a struggle for the female, to be chosen by her or admitted to her. Males during mating games they fight among themselves, measure their strength, and the winner gets the honorable right to continue their gene pool.

This happens in almost all animals: deer fight with their horns, sea ​​lions- chest and flippers. Even crayfish swinging their claws in the fight for the female.

But there are exceptions. For example, peacocks. During the mating season, male peacocks do not fight for the female. How do they compete? It’s very simple and beautiful - peacocks spread their tails in the form of huge fans, thereby attracting the attention of the female. The larger and wider the tail, the greater the chance of being chosen. Female peacocks are deprived by nature: they do not have such luxurious tails. Maybe that's why they are so greedy for the beauty that males show them?

Zoologists have long noticed this feature of peacock behavior, but for a long time they could not explain why and how the female makes her choice. At first they thought that the male peacock, having spread his tail, blocked all other competitors with it, and the female simply did not see them. It turned out that this was not the case. It is impossible to close all the males, no matter how gorgeous your tail is. Zoologists have noticed that the female invariably chooses the male with the largest tail. She seems to compare the males with each other and goes to the one with the bigger tail.

It is foolish to believe that a female peacock has a sense of beauty. In fact, after carefully observing the life of peacocks, scientists noticed that the tail of male peacocks grows very slowly. The older the peacock, the larger the tail. So does the female choose more mature males? And if so, why? The point is also that the peacock is an attractive bird for many predators. In the animal world there are many who want to eat peacock meat. Therefore, male peacocks rarely live to be three years old, becoming prey to predators. You have to be really dexterous and fast to avoid being eaten. To manage to grow a long tail, a peacock needs to be very resourceful. The long tail of the peacock is proof of its greatest adaptability to survival on the landscape. How longer tail, the older, and therefore more dexterous, the peacock is, the more adapted to survival its offspring will be. Therefore the female naturally chooses just such a male.

But the peacock needs a tail not only to attract a female. The tail helps him deceive the predator. The predator is chasing a peacock and it already seems to him that he has caught up with the peacock, when in fact, he only grabbed it by the tail. The peacock slips out of the predator's clutches, leaving him with one or two feathers. He lost his feathers, but saved his life. And the feathers will grow.

How is it with people

For a woman to pay attention to a man, he is ready to do a lot. After all, it is also very important for him to pass on his gene pool to the future. No less important than for any deer, crayfish or peacock. Of course, for people everything is significantly complicated by culture and civilization, but relations between the sexes are still largely based on animal instincts. And even when we are not talking about direct procreation, a partner and his qualities are an important indicator for us, not just from some far-fetched tastes and preferences.

It happens, of course, that men literally fight over a woman, but this is still not how we choose a mate. A woman by nature is responsible for right choice partner before future offspring. Therefore, she is just as inclined to choose among men the one who is most adapted to survival, and who is also best able to take care of her and their future children.

This is the basis of her unconscious choice, even though she may actually decide to never have children and be completely financially secure. However, the very rationalization of why she likes that man and not that one will one way or another be rooted in these basic factors; all the foundations of attractiveness are built on them.

But of course, with people everything is much more complicated than with animals. Animals are different from each other physical characteristics, but identical in their own way internal content- mental structure. They have no consciousness as such, all their behavior is regulated exclusively by basic desires and works like a well-oiled mechanism in which there is no room for conscious choice and preference. Therefore, they do not have what we call proper thinking, and therefore among animals there is no particular difference in mental abilities between individuals.

We humans are very different from the animal world in this sense. How? We are not animals and are guided not only by the simplest desires, but we also have complicated, additional desires. What we call consciousness, thinking, is what provides our thoughts on how to realize these desires. System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan identifies eight main types of thinking, vectors, that is, types of basic sets of certain properties and corresponding desires.

How do these additional desires make choosing a partner more difficult?

When a woman chooses a man, she is helped in this by the attraction she experiences. Attraction occurs when she smells a man's scent. It's not the smell of sweat or cologne, it's something completely different. Attraction is caused by special molecules called pheromones. They are not perceived by us as a smell in the usual sense of the word, they are unconsciously perceived odors that influence our subconscious in such a way that we either like the other person or not.

A man's choice is relatively simple, based solely on attraction. While a woman chooses a man based on two types of pheromones: attraction pheromones and ranking pheromones.

Every man carries pheromones of attraction naturally, and these pheromones have varying degrees of intensity depending on his libido. The most powerful libido, and accordingly, the strongest smell of attraction pheromones is in the carrier of the urethral vector - the natural leader standing at the head of the natural hierarchy. And the weakest libido and, accordingly, the least attractive smell of attraction pheromones in men with the skin vector.

To be successful with women, men with the skin vector strive to artificially “intensify” the smell of their pheromones. How? They follow the leader to the top of the hierarchy, trying to raise their social status, that is, to dominate. This allows them to compensate for the lack of scent from attraction pheromones with ranking pheromones. Therefore, men with the skin vector are very ambitious, striving for career growth, making money, in other words, they are trying with all their might to raise their social status - their rank.

A man with the skin vector strives to dominate, and this is reflected in his behavior. He will increase his status, pursue prestige and achieve success. But it's not that easy. The more developed the properties of the vector, the more people able to realize himself in society, the more he will be in demand and vice versa.

A man, a carrier of the skin vector, who has managed to realize the qualities given to him by nature, becomes more attractive to women. They are drawn to him unconsciously, sensing the scent of his attraction pheromones enhanced by the scent of ranking pheromones. We say about a developed, realized leather worker that he is a successful, self-confident person. Additionally your high rank It helps the leather worker to emphasize his love for everything expensive and prestigious. An expensive car, a Swiss watch, an apartment in a prestigious area, clothes from famous fashion designers are the attributes of the prestige of a successful person.

But it happens that a man’s skin vector is not sufficiently developed, and then it is difficult for him to realize himself, since there is not enough necessary qualities, to succeed.

Unable to succeed, unable to dominate in content, such a leather worker tries to replace the lack of content with form. He surrounds himself with things that indicate his supposedly high social status. Such a man not only prefers, but also clearly demonstrates on himself everything that is expensive and can indicate wealth, his high position in society. He can spend all his money on creating the appearance of his success, surround himself with these external attributes, but at the same time, in fact, not have a penny to his name.

It also happens that an undeveloped leather worker nevertheless turns out to be able to extract large amounts money. This money is usually obtained through dishonest means. After all, it is precisely such people, possessing the ingenuity and flexibility of thinking inherent in the skin vector, who, like no one else, are able to create and implement schemes with the goal of “making money” or “throwing a sucker.” But the mere presence of money does not make it successful people. You cannot deceive the unconscious, and with all the money a person was and remains what he is - insufficiently developed in his properties, without the “healthy” smell of pheromones.

This type of dominance is especially characteristic of our Russian urethral mentality. Why? Because our mentality implies a hierarchy, where it is especially important for a man with the skin vector to dominate. For comparison, in the West, society is more standardized, and there it is not customary to flaunt one’s wealth, thereby causing the envy of other people.

Be that as it may, when a man with the skin vector strives with all his might for success, making money, when he surrounds himself expensive things, in fact, he thus strengthens his position relative to other men and increases his chances that a woman will choose him.

He does all this unconsciously. And in his mind it seems to him that he himself likes expensive things, that he himself wants to make a career. Why? He thinks that he is just such a person, not suspecting that in the depths of his psyche, he is driven by desires and aspirations set by his skin vector. And these desires are aimed only at raising one’s status (rank), increasing one’s chance of being chosen by a woman, thereby gaining the right to procreate, a chance to pass one’s gene pool into the future.

In other words, roughly speaking: all the show-off is because of women! What did you think?

The article was written based on training materials on system-vector psychology

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Peacocks are largest representatives chicken order, however, unlike their relatives, they, namely the males, are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty.

They gained great popularity due to their long feathers, which open in the form of a fan in the tail area.

Let's consider what these feathers are, as well as in what situations these birds “spread their tail.”

How does a peacock spread its tail and is it a tail?

Anyone who has ever seen these beautiful birds knows that they have a beautiful tail that trails behind them like a train. However, few people know that large and dense feathers, painted in bright colors, are not actually a tail.

Ornithologists call this part the rump; it grows from the back of the male. The tail is located behind the bright feathers, it serves as support for the “fan” in a loose position and looks completely opposite.

Depending on the type of bird, the color of the rump is blue or green, but there are specimens with golden or white plumage. In the center of each feather there is a bright eye. The feathers are large and dense, and can reach up to 160 cm in length. When opened, the “fan” opens up to 300 cm in width.

Reasons for spreading feathers

In the process of observing these birds, ornithologists have identified several reasons as a result of which peacocks spread their beautiful “tails”. Let's look at them.

Did you know? After the female has given her consent to the union, the peacock turns its back to her. Only experts know that it is by the short tail feathers and rear part that one can determine the age of the male, his state of health and strength, which is what the female does.

Mating season

Most are sure that such beauty is given to the male solely to attract females to the beginning life together. The peacock spreads its “fan” and begins to dance around the chosen one, rustling its plumage and freezing in spectacular poses.

Repelling enemies

During the mating season, each bird wants to occupy the most advantageous place. Having decided on a companion, the male wants her to be in the most better conditions. To achieve this, he often has to sort things out with other peacocks and compete with them.

The conflict is resolved by showing off the splendor of one's tail until the enemy retreats.

Distracting a Predator

The bird's bright fan is also a means of distracting predators. When they come close to the nest, the peacock, with the help of beautiful plumage, distracts predators and takes them far from the location of the female with eggs or chicks.

Important!In some countries, it is believed that keeping peacock feathers at home will bring bad luck.

Communication with relatives

Few people know that the rustling of feathers is also a way of communication between peacocks. It turns out that when the angle of inclination of the feathers changes and they move slightly, infrasound is emitted, with the help of which birds talk.

Does a female peacock have a tail?

Since we already know that the long feathers that distinguish male peacocks from females are not the tail, the question is illogical. These birds, regardless of gender, have a small tail, but it is short and inconspicuous.