What? The phoenix is ​​the ancestor of the peacock!

Speaking of the phoenix, many words always come to our mind: the arrival of the phoenix, dragons and phoenixes dancing, birds paying homage to the phoenix, rare and phoenix-like... Most of the words related to the phoenix are words that imply peace and beauty.

Legend has it that as early as the transition period between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there was an auspicious sign of a phoenix singing in Mount Qishan. At that time, people believed that this bird covered with colorful clouds was brought about by King Wen's benevolent rule.

Even Mr. Lu Xun's favorite "Classic of Mountains and Seas" records: "Five hundred miles further east is the Danxue Mountain, on which there are many gold and jade. The Dan River originates from it, and flows south into the Bohai Sea. There is a bird there. It looks like a chicken, with five colors and patterns. It is called the Phoenix." It can be seen that the phoenix is ​​full of magical colors in our culture.

The phoenix does not exist in the real world, but we can still find an animal that is extremely similar to the phoenix, and that is the peacock.

In the Eastern mythology system, the peacock and the roc are both born from the phoenix. They are both children born from the phoenix's peaceful aura. So it seems that the peacock has inherited the good genes of its mother. No wonder it is so colorful and majestic.

Speaking of peacocks, we all know blue peacocks, green peacocks, black peacocks, white peacocks, etc. But in fact, there are two types of peacocks known so far: one is the "blue peacock" that we are more likely to see, also known as the Indian peacock. The other is the "green peacock" that is listed as an endangered species, also known as the Java peacock.

Blue peacock (Indian peacock) above and green peacock (Java peacock) below

Image source: Tuchong Creative

As for the black peacock and the white peacock, they are both variants of the blue peacock and are still members of the blue peacock family. However, the blue peacock's call is not very pleasant, while the green peacock is different. Its call is high-pitched and bright, with a kingly aura but not without elegance; this is probably why the ancients regarded it as an auspicious bird.

White peacock, a variant of the blue peacock

Image source: Tuchong Creative

I wonder if you have the same problem as me, which has troubled me for a long time:

That is, can peacocks fly?

Since childhood, we have learned that "The peacock flies southeast, and lingers every five miles." (From "The Peacock Flies Southeast"), but the question of whether the peacock can fly has always lingered in my mind.

Next, we will take the green peacock as an example and simply analyze whether the peacock can fly from several aspects such as body characteristics and living habits.

Green peacocks generally live in open areas with abundant running water and thick bushes in southwestern Yunnan, China. They are omnivorous animals that feed on wild fruits and grains.

The crest is blue-green, and the male's coverts are very long, especially the tail feathers. The tail screen of a normal-sized male green peacock can be as long as 1 meter. The tail feathers have a rainbow-colored "eye" pattern at the end. This pattern is composed of purple, blue, brown, yellow, red and other colors from the inside to the outside, which is very similar to the tail feathers of the legendary phoenix. This colorful tail feather is the gorgeous dress of the peacock in search of a mate.

As we all know, only male peacocks have tail screens, while female peacocks look a little plain and simple, which is reflected in many birds in nature. In March and April every spring, it is the season for peacocks to lay eggs and reproduce. At this time, the hormone level of male peacocks rises, and the number of times they open their tail screens is also the most in the year.

The unpretentious peacock

Image source: Tuchong Creative

Most birds will use dance to attract the attention of the opposite sex, and peacocks are no exception. The male peacock will spread out its colorful tail screen, sometimes strolling in front of the female, and sometimes showing its beautiful feathers and strong body with elegant dance. The more dazzling the male peacock's tail feathers are, the stronger the body is, so generally female peacocks are attracted to males with elegant bodies and bright feathers, because this can ensure that their offspring are strong enough to adapt to this challenging nature.

The moment when the peacock spreads its tail

Image source: Tuchong Creative

The tail screen of a male peacock is not only used for courtship, but also for intimidating natural enemies. The survival rule of nature is to use courtesy before force. However, once a male peacock is being chased by a natural enemy and cannot escape in time, he will straighten his chest and spread out his tail screen. This one-meter-high tail screen instantly makes the male peacock look several times larger. Coupled with the deterrent eye pattern on the tail feathers and the rustling momentum when shaking, no matter how brave the enemy is, he will probably become cautious and even choose to retreat without a fight when facing this "multi-eyed beast".

Although male peacocks are extremely powerful, they are actually elegant birds. Have you ever seen a peacock with its feathers standing on end all day long?

Like most pheasants, peacocks spend most of their time walking and stopping, eating. It sounds very pleasant. During the day, they move around in bushes and woods in the river valley, and at night they roost on short and strong branches. They have strong hind legs and are good at running. Even male peacocks with huge tail screens can still run quickly. However, the peacocks with less developed wings have amazing flying ability. Females may be less burdened when running than males, and flying requires a lot of physical strength for males with huge tail screens.

So although peacocks can fly, they can only fly for a short time and a short distance, and their movements will become slow when landing. If they encounter natural enemies at this time, it will be a headache. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why this gorgeous bird has become an endangered species.

Source: Damei Science

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