What makes a peacock spread its feathers

Peacocks usually travel in groups of up to 10 peacocks. Peacocks are one of the loudest animals on earth, calling out to each other during the morning and late evening. Peacocks make meowing sounds when it is going to rain. They also make alarm calls when they sense danger. Male peacocks sing to attract female peacocks. During the mating season, male peacocks mate with up to six different female peacocks. Peahen lay 4 to 8 brown eggs. Mother peacocks incubate the eggs.

Peacock babies hatch following an incubation period of about one month. Mother peacocks take care of the peacock chicks without assistance from the father peacock.

Male peachicks do not begin to grow their trains until they are about 3 years old. Peacocks have numerous natural predators, including dogs, cats, raccoons, tigers and the mongoose. Peacocks live 20 years or more in the wild. Peacock populations are declining. Congo peafowl is a vulnerable species, and the Green peafowl is an endangered species. The poaching of peacocks for their feathers is one of the main reasons peacock populations have decreased by more than 50 percent.

Peacocks face habitat loss like most bird species, causing them to have fewer sources of food, shelter and water. It isn't an act of vanity, though -- peacocks fan out their feathers as part of a courtship ritual to attact a mate. Every peacock has a look all his own, made of distinct color patterns and "eyespots" scattered across the plumage. When a male courts a female, he spreads out his tail feathers to display his colors and eyespots fully for her to see.

Completely fanned out, the tail spreads behind the peacock in a full semicircle, though some peacocks have tails that are bigger than others. Ultimately, the size and the patterns of the tail help her choose whether or not she'll mate with him. When the peahen observes a peacock spreading his feathers, she chooses whether he's a suitable mate for her.

Generally, the more eyespots and the bigger the tail, the better his chances are for procuring one or many mates. Particularly "attractive" males may collect several loyal mates, all of which find the qualities of his tail irresistable.

In fact, one-third of the calls heard by researchers were fake, and the birds that made them scored the most hookups. Sneaky, sneaky. Hummingbirds and shimmering butterflies have mastered a similar visual effect on their own wings.

A female peacock has special sensors in her crest that allow her to feel the vibrations of mate who may be located far away. According to The Atlantic , the feathers are " tuned to vibrate at the exact same frequencies at which a displaying peacock rattles his tail. BY Jessica Hullinger.