If someone asks you what's the most beautiful bird, you might answer peacocks. The large, colorful pheasants have brilliant feathers, which have made them the symbol of beauty, royalty, and good fortune for many cultures throughout history. Their vibrant blue and green feathers fan out into a glamorous display that can reach up to five feet in length. From environmentalists to artists, these handpicked peacock quotes capture the pride and grace of the species.
There are only three peacock species in the wild. The most recognizable one, the blue peacock, lives in India and Sri Lanka. Next are the green peacock residing in Java and Myanmar. Finally, a lesser-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rainforests, and they closely resemble the typical pheasants.
Want to uncover more about these flashy birds? Continue reading our article about peacock quotes.
Or for more from our feathered friends, you might also like to read up about the types of owls and check our list of bird facts and find out which is the smallest bird in the world.
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When you see a peacock strutting with the feathers fanned out, that's most likely a male courting a female. The more technical term for the birds is peafowl, with the name peacocks given to males, which are distinguishable by their long iridescent plumage. In comparison, the female with short brown feathers is called a peahen.
Their courtship display is quite remarkable. While strutting, the male will fan out his tail feathers and rattle them at 25.6 Hz on average to attract the attention of nearby females1. Both genders also make deceptive copulation calls to find each other during mating season2.
Check out how these passionate pheasants inspire the people below through their peacock quotes.
"The peacock has become one of my regular sources of inspiration from nature."
"Animals use a broad range of strategies to advertise themselves in the mating market. In some instances, visual cues highlight a morphological feature - for example, the peacock's tail."
"There's a history to Peacock Pond. It was a very valuable conservation area."
"Peacock bass like to hide at ambush points, away from the strong canal currents."
"Patterns drawn in ultraviolet might make those ordinary little petals into the exotic peacocks of the botanical world, and yet we cannot appreciate them."
"The Italians are fond of red clothes, peacock plumes, and embroidery."
Who in the world is not mesmerized by a peacock's feather? Interestingly, the pigment of their plumage is brown. Since no actual color blue is present in nature, animals like peacocks trick our eyes by reflecting light. The light hitting the microscopic structure of their tail feathers gave the birds their iridescent sheen of blue, green, yellow, and copper. It takes two years for a baby peacock, born with dull grayish-brown color, to develop its varicolored feathers.
Some peacocks can be entirely white due to a genetic mutation known as leucism. This mutation causes a partial loss of all pigments, resulting in white feathers. Therefore, some might refer to them as "albinos." However, this is not accurate since albinism is a lack of melanin pigments only. Leucistic peacocks are rare, so it's a special treat if you see one in the wild!
All in all, peacock feathers are indeed a sight to behold. But they can make us laugh too. So check out the funny peacock quotes below to brighten your day.
"A peacock that rests on his feathers is just another turkey."
"I was in a top hat with peacock feathers and thigh-high black boots. I was 17 -- old enough to know better."
"A peacock escaped from the Central Park Zoo and wandered around the city. Either that or I just saw a pigeon on his way to a gay pride parade."
"Turkeys are peacocks that have really let themselves go."
"Peacocks have bright feathers. Fish have long tails. Women have the mall."
"Life is a competition of prattling peacocks enraptured in inane mating rituals."
"Hansel is certainly about comfort, while still sort of having a peacock principle of wanting to attract attention."
"Still he found the energy to act like an arrogant peacock."
Describing someone as a peacock is often used to convey the idea of vanity or excessive self-esteem. The pheasants' bright colors and dramatic display are associated with someone seeking attention or displaying their supposed superiority. For example, one might say, "He was strutting around the party like a peacock, trying to show off for everyone."
However, peacocks can also be used to describe someone confident and proud in a positive way. Peacocks can represent someone who radiates a sense of self-worth and carries themselves with dignity.
For example, one might say, "She had a majestic presence, like a peacock in full display." They can also describe someone beautiful, graceful, and eye-catching, such as "She was the most beautiful person in the room, like a peacock among the other birds."
Learn how to make your everyday language more colorful with the peacock quotes below.
"Be like a peacock and dance with all of your beauty."
"Many a peacock hides his peacock tail from all eyes--and calls it his pride."
"A tulip lacks scent, a peacock has an unpleasant voice. The one takes pride in its garb, the other in its tail."
"A peacock has too little in its head, too much in its tail."
"Sparrows who emulate peacocks are likely to break a thigh."
"If thou be wise, view the peacock's feathers with his feet, and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections."
"She is a peacock in everything but beauty."
"Genius and virtue are to be more often found clothed in gray than in peacock bright."
"Whenever I can put a fresh, clean suit on, I'm like a peacock. That's my most confident moment."
"Just as people behave to me, so do I behave to them. When I see that a person despises me and treats me with contempt, I can be as proud as any peacock."
The peacock holds a unique place in history with its enchanting presence. In India, the peacock is the national bird and is present in multiple legends, like the story of them dancing for Lord Krishna and hiding Lord Indra from his enemy. In Greek mythology, Hera transferred a hundred eyes of Argus, her faithful servant, to the tail of a peacock before Zeus could kill him.
The iridescent birds are also visible in early Christian art. Since they believed their feathers didn't decay, they made peacocks symbols of immortality. In Judaism, the bird signifies joy and creativity, while in China, it represents beauty and dignity.
The creatures' visual prowess also made them an inspiration for authors and poets. Read their works in the peacock quotes below.
"If a man knew anything, he would sit in a corner and be modest; but he is such an ignorant peacock, that he goes bustling up and down, and hits on extraordinary discoveries."
"People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet."
"Dream tonight of peacock tails, Diamond fields, and spouter whales. Ills are many, blessings few, But dreams tonight will shelter you."
"News is history shot on the wing. The huntsmen from the Fourth Estate seek to bag only the peacock or the eagle of the swifting day."
"I do not believe that any peacock envies another peacock his tail, because every peacock is persuaded that his own tail is the finest in the world. The consequence of this is that peacocks are peaceable birds."
"It was strapless, the bodice peacock-blue and edged in gold, full skirted at the front and gathered into an elaborate, foaming bustle of satin and peacock feathers at the back…"
| 1 | Dakin, R., McCrossan, O., Hare, J. F., Montgomerie, R., & Kane, S. A. (2016). Biomechanics of the Peacock’s Display: How Feather Structure and Resonance Influence Multimodal Signaling. PLOS ONE, 11(4), e0152759. |
| 2 | Dakin R, Montgomerie R. Deceptive copulation calls attract female visitors to peacock leks. Am Nat. 2014 Apr;183(4):558-64. doi: 10.1086/675393. Epub 2014 Mar 5. |
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