Culturally, the word “peacock” is used to reference both the male and female species. However, technically, the peacock is used to only describe the male species, while females are known as peahens. Peacocks are large male birds, characterized as pheasants, resulting from the male and female species of peacock being visibly distinct.
The peacock stands three to four feet tall, with their tail reaching up to five feet. They weigh 13 pounds and live an average of 20 years in the wild. The peacock has ornate and wildly colorful tail feathers that cover more than 60 percent of its body length. The feathers are filled with “eye markings,” that are colored blue, gold and red and are able to create an arch that stretches across from one side of the ground to the other.
Peacocks are known as “ground-feeders” because they obtain their nutrients from insects and plants. They reside in India, Sri Lanka, Burma and the rain forests of Africa. Peacocks do not play well with domestic birds, although human beings have kept peacocks as pets for centuries.