PEAFOWL?

"Peacock's-Eye-View"

"People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet."

-Sa'Di-

Peacocks have always captured our imagination and have held prominent positions in almost all major religions of human history.  In Greco-Roman mythology peacocks represented the goddess Hera.  In Hinduism it is associated with the goddess Saraswati, a deity of benevolence, patience, compassion, and knowledge.  In Babylonia and Persia the peacock was seen as a guardian of royalty, and in early Christianity it was seen as a symbol of eternal life.* 


Although most people use the term "peacock" to refer to both sexes, in fact only males are peacocks.  Females are peahens and together they are called peafowl.  The distinctive tail feathers of these pheasants account for more than 60% of the birds' body length.  Females are said to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of the males' tail feathers.**

There are two common varieties, the blue peacock of India and Sri Lanka and the green peacock found in Myanmar and Burma.  These breathtaking birds having been admired for thousands of years were said to have been imported to Israel by King Solomon and similarly imported to Egypt during the early dynasties.

Peafowl are relatively weak flyers and spend much of their time on the ground. although they can fly short distances usually when escaping danger and will often roost in trees at night.^

I shot this picture at full zoom 300mm focal length and  f5.6 aperture to bring the spots on the tail into focus while blurring the head and background of the image.

*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peafowl

**www.animals.nationalgeographic.com

^www.digitalvertebrae.com