Upon entering the Greensboro Science Center’s zoo, this regal peacock in all it’s glory was giving the meerkats a hard time. Either that, or the frantic activity of the meerkats make him anxious, OR he was seeing his own reflection in the plexiglass, seeing a male competitor. He remained in his full regalia for quite some time, so there was plenty of time to capture him from all angles.
Factoids: 1) Luckily, the peacocks shed their train every year after mating season, so the feathers can be gathered and sold without the birds coming to any harm. 2) The average lifespan of a peacock in the wild is about 20 years. 3) A peacock’s tail feathers can reach up to six feet long and make up about 60 percent of its body length. Despite these odd proportions, the bird flies just fine, if not very far. 4) Their feathers are covered in microscopic “crystal-like structures” that reflect different wavelengths of light depending on how they’re spaced, resulting in bright fluorescent colors. (Hummingbirds and shimmering butterflies have mastered a similar visual effect on their own wings.)
