SHAKE IT OFF

When it comes to impressing the females, peacocks know how to put on a show

- Mike Dilger's

IF YOU WERE TO RANK THE 11,276 BIRDS currently known on Earth on a scale of recognisability, the Indian peafowl surely deserves a place in the top 10. In the wild, peafowl are found across most of the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. But thanks to widespread introductions across Europe, the Antipodes, the USA and South Africa, you might not have to travel too far to catch up with the males' extravagant looks and astonishing display.

Being a sexually dimorphic species, the males (peacocks) are very differently plumed to the females (peahens). Sporting an electric-blue neck and head, topped with a small crest, the male is best known for his impressive train, which extends for more than a metre beyond his rump.

These plumes are only fully formed when the males reach sexual maturity, at around three years of age, and are in fact elongated upper tail covert feathers.

They contain a multitude of colourful eyespots and terminate in a distinctive fishtail. The males are still able to fly, despite the obvious encumbrance, but usually only do so when heading into their lofty tree-roosts at dusk.

The females, in contrast, lack this elaborate accessory and are predominantly brown, which helps them to safely blend into their surroundings while incubating their clutches and rearing young.