Why Do Peacocks Have Such Big Feathers?

What You'll Learn

• Only male peacocks have the big colorful tail feathers
• They display their feathers to attract female peahens
• The bigger and brighter the feathers, the healthier the peacock
• The feathers have "eye spots" that shimmer blue, green, and gold
• The display is called "fanning" — spreading the tail into a giant circle

Words to Know

Peacock

A male bird with giant colorful tail feathers

"The peacock spread his tail."

Peahen

A female peacock — brown, no big tail

"The peahen watched the display."

Display

To show something off

"The peacock displayed his feathers."

Camouflage

Colors that help you blend in

"The peahen's brown is camouflage."

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• Only male peacocks have elaborate colorful tail feathers

  Source: National Geographic

• Peahens are brown and camouflaged for nesting protection

  Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

• Tail can span 5 feet (1.5m) when fanned

  Source: San Diego Zoo

• Tail can have over 150 eye spots (ocelli)

  Source: Nature journal

• Colors are structural — tiny crystal-like structures reflect light, not pigment

  Source: Physical Review Letters

• Peahens prefer males with more eye spots and larger tails

  Source: Marion Petrie, Nature