Male peacocks spread their long tail feathers to impress females during courtship.

The longer version

The long train is not the tail itself but hugely elongated upper tail coverts, each tipped with an eyespot of structural colour that shifts with viewing angle. A displaying male raises and fans them into a shimmering wall, vibrates them so the eyespots seem to float, and adds a rustling sound too low for people to hear well.

Females walk among displaying males and choose, and the count of intact eyespots tracks a male's condition and the survival of his offspring. The train is a genuine handicap. It is heavy, slows escape and advertises the bird, and that cost is what makes the signal honest rather than a bluff.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.