The peafowl is a large bird, with males measuring almost four feet long, not including the male’s long train of rear feathers. Including those, they can be nearly seven and a half feet long. Females are usually shorter, around three feet in length.
The species is known for the stark difference between male and female coloration. In nature this is known as “sexual dimorphism”. Females (known as peahens) are usually brownish and drab in coloration with glossy green feathers on their neck and chest. Males, or peacocks, are a vibrant metallic blue over most of their body, with brownish wings and an elaborate grouping of long feathers extending back from the upper tail in a “train”. These feathers feature patterns on the end known as “eye spots”, and can be fanned out in an elaborate display by the male when courting females.
