Peahens and peacocks are beautiful avians, but people often get confused about which gender of the peafowl family displays their tail wings into a breathtaking hemispherical shape? Many think it is the peahens that do so, but they are wrong, well, for the most part.
In the human world, females may be the fairer gender, but it works a bit differently in the avian world. It is only when we compare peahen vs peacock, do we see the differences between them. Let’s find out which gender is responsible for that world-famous tail-fan spectacle and more as we dig deeper into this article.
Contents
An Overview Of Peahen And Peacock
Peahens and peacocks are together known as peafowls, belonging to the Order Galliformes and family Phasianidae. Peahens are the females, and peacocks are the males of the same family of birds. They are a category of avians with a remarkably vibrant plumage that mystifies onlookers. Unfortunately, only the peacocks have a colorful plumage, peahens do not.
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Peafowls are found in the Asian and African continents only. The blue peafowls are found in the Indian subcontinent, while the green one can be spotted in Southeast Asia, mostly in Java and Myanmar. Congo peacocks are found in the African rainforests.
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The popular white peacocks are mostly a gene variation found in domesticated peafowls. White peacocks are not a separate species but are considered a subspecies of blue peacocks. Not all white peacocks are albinos – some are white because they have a condition called ‘leucism’. Leucistic peafowls produce color pigments but the pigments fail to reach the feathers.
Peahen vs Peacock: Similarities
As far as their plumage goes, they look quite similar. Indian peacocks and peahens both have green and blue feathers in their train of tail feathers, and they both display their plumage on different occasions. One very admirable aspect to bird lovers is the iridescence on the plumage of both the genders of peafowls — when light falls, the feathers boast a metallic sheen.
Additionally, both the males and females have 2.5 cm long spurs on their legs that are basically keratinous outgrowths of bones. Males use their spurs to scare off predators and competition during the mating season. Besides, both males and females have a crest on their head.
The green Southeast Asian peahens are quite similar to their male counterparts as far as the plumage is concerned. White peacocks and peahens look identical, depending on the level of gene variation, and could be indistinguishable.
Mature peahens have sometimes been found to have changes in their plumage color as they get older, starting to look and behave more like the peacocks. Scientists have suggested this to be caused by damaged ovaries producing less estrogen in the body.
Peacock vs Peahen: Differences
Below you will find some distinct differences between peahens and peacocks that should leave no questions unanswered. But it will definitely raise your curiosity to know more about them.
Body Plumage
Peacock: Peacocks are known for their attractive body plumage. They can be spotted at parks or nature sanctuaries, flaunting their green, blue and at times white feathers. The reason why male peafowls have more eye-catching appearance than females is because they initiate the mating process and need to compete with other males to get chosen as a potential mate.
Let’s start with the most commonly sighted but magnificent blue peacocks. Blue peacocks, with the scientific name, Pavo cristatus, have a captivating blue plumage on their head that continues to their neck and chest areas.
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Green peacocks, bearing a scientific name Pavo muticus, are almost identical to the blue peacocks, only their head, neck and underparts are an iridescent green, instead of blue. Their neck and chest look as if they have dragon scales on them, but actually they are green feathers.
Congo peacocks, or Afropaco congensis, are even more colorful than the blue and green peacocks with indigo and brownish green upperparts. The upperparts may also share a metallic green and purple sheen all over. The head, neck and underparts are blackish in appearance. A signature feature of congo peacocks is the red patch of skin on their neck.
If you are blinded with a splash of colors from the rainbow, then white peacocks would do you good. A subspecies of blue peacocks, white or albino peacocks may have a complete white or partially white plumage. Scientifically known as Pavo cristatus mut alba, their feathers lack melanin and their eyes are pink, and not blue.
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Peahen: Peahens, on the other hand, though not less beautiful in any possible way, have more subdued colors on their plumage, instead of the bright blue, green, and red of their male counterparts. They have brown, chestnut, gray, black, and other subtle shades on their feathers. Congo peahens have rusty brown heads and underparts, and dull green upperparts.
Green and white peahens look identical to their male partners, only smaller in size. The reason why peahens have less eye-catching plumage is because females do not have to seek a mating partner. Instead, peahens assess the plumage of the males and choose one as a mate.
Tail Feather
Peacocks boast their evergreen, world-renowned tail feathers that are often termed as a ‘train’. Peacocks, doubtlessly, have longer and more colorful tails than peahens. A peacock’s tail is usually 7 to 7.5 feet long, and contains about 200 feathers. The feathers are of different colors with shades like golden, brown, blue and green all intertwined with each other.
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The tail feathers of peacocks are a lot longer than those of peahens, and the layers of feathers overlap each other, thus increasing the weight. Peacocks fan their tail feathers wide open during the mating time and when they are feeling threatened. Peacocks with their tail feathers all open and fluttering is a sight to behold— an absolute spectacle!
Let’s not forget about the ‘eyes’ or ocelli on their tail plumage that resemble ornaments studded on a green fabric. These eyes are an essential part of the plumage and play a significant role in being chosen as a potential mating partner by the females. Ocelli usually have a central black spot, surrounded by patches of cyan and golden-brown colors. Congo peacocks, however, have no ocelli on their tails and have much shorter tails.
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Does that all point to the fact that peahens do not have a colorful tail? Wrong! Peahens do have colorful tails, only the colors are subtle or subdued. The roundabout 100 feathers on female tails have hues and shades of light brown or gray. Female tails are also shorter than male ones.
Dance
People from all over the world visit Asia to see the dance of the peacock– it is almost a phenomenon. Peacocks, be they blue, green or white, open their tail feathers wide, into a hemisphere, just behind their head, a spectacle called ‘fanning’. It then chooses a female and surrounds it completely with its feather display, looking dominating and intimidating.
When the female pays attention, it moves from side to side, fluttering the tail fan. At first it stretches its feathers at 90 degrees, and then at 45 degrees, so that the sunlight enhances their iridescent feathers and the ocelli, making them appear mesmerizing to the peahen. This degree at which the tail feathers are exposed to the sun is crucial in the mating process.
On the other hand, peahens do not contribute to the dance performance at all. They just stand motionless in front of the peacock, assessing them very carefully while they are dancing. The peahen’s aim is to choose the best genes for her future generation, so she usually settles for a peacock that has bright and long feathers, with a lot of ocelli.
Size
Peacocks are doubtlessly much larger than peahens — one of the best distinguishing features if you happen to spot them together at one place. Peacocks are 90 inches (7.5 feet) long, and 46 inches (4 feet) tall. They flaunt a wingspan of 5 feet, and weigh around 13 pounds (6 kg).
Peahens are much smaller, about 39 to 45 inches (up to 4 feet) long, weighing about 6 to 9 pounds. They are about 3 feet tall.
Vocalizations
Peacocks are more vocal at communication. Their loud calls are mainly for two reasons– to attract a mate, and to ward off predators. Their sounds are often compared to a baby crying or a
cat meowing loudly. They also sound like leaf rustling or a drumroll often termed as a ‘train rattle’.
Peahens have more subtle voices, and they use it to communicate with peacocks during their mating performance, and to call their chicks. They make high-pitched noises, scream or honk.
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Incubation
In many bird families, the males help the females in the incubation process, but not the peacocks. It does help guard the nests, but does not incubate the eggs. That leaves the females incubating the eggs for 30 days.
Lifespan
On average, peacocks live a little longer than peahens. Peacocks live for 20 years, and peahens for 15. However, in a well controlled environment, like parks or in private gardens, they can live for about 50 years.
FAQ
In order to answer any further questions that you may have about these two birds, this FAQ section has been arranged. See if you can find your question here.
Q: Do hybridized peacocks and peahens look different?
Ans: Blue and green peacocks are often cross-bred, and the hybrids are called spaldings. Spaldings contain various colors in their plumage– monochromatic wings, white ocelli instead of the usual black, and shades like bronze, opal, jade and peach. Even in hybrids, males have a more colorful plumage than females. Females have green necks and brown underparts.
Q: Can peacocks fly faster than peahens?
Ans: Both peacocks and peahens are capable of flying at a speed of 16 km/hr.
Q: Do peahens have a colorful tail like the peacocks?
Ans: Peahens have long, colorful tails too, only the colors are subdued, falling in the shades of brown and gray. Peacocks, however, have more bright colors in their tails, like green and red.
Thoughts
Peacocks and peahens are males and females of the same family of birds, namely Phasianidae. They both have lovely crests on top of their heads, beautiful plumage, and long tails. So how can you actually tell the difference?
When you compare peahen vs peacock, you will see that peacocks are way larger than peahens. And how can we forget the spectacular tail wings of the peacocks that spread into a hemisphere during mating season? A peahen does not do that. It is these nuances between the peacocks and peahens that make us appreciate their unique beauty.
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