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There’s something about the Peacock that attracts the human imagination. The males’ profuse and huge tail feathers are the most obvious draw, given that their iridescent colors and spots that give the appearance of realistic eyes give them an appearance bordering on the supernatural. But part of that curiosity certainly comes down to how utterly impractical these are birds appear. The term peacock refers to three types of birds: the Congo, Indian and green peafowl. Apart from some minor variations in color and size, each of these species is largely identical to each other. And while only males of the species have the obvious tail feathers, females still have the bustle of feathers following them.
Everything about these birds — from their huge tails to their clumsy body shape to their irregular size — seems to suggest a species built impractically for self-defense against predators and ill-suited for flight. But the peacock has managed to survive and its relationship with flight is more complicated than it seems at first glance. If you want to know how far, how fast and how long a peacock can fly, read on.
Why do some birds not fly?
Birds are most distinguished by their feathers, wings and – to a lesser extent – hollow bones. These are all features supposedly designed to aid in flight. But evolution rarely takes the form of a straight line, and organisms naturally adapt to the specific – and often unusual – demands of their environment and both the predators and prey around them. That is the case with dolphins — which evolved over generations into one of the most intelligent ocean creatures, despite their ancestors walking on all fours 50 million years ago. From that perspective, the idea of birds unable to fly is considerably less dramatic — but ratites are still relatively rare creatures.
In total, there are more than 60 species of ratites, but the largest group of these belongs to the rail family. Both the high number of registered track species and their lack of flight may be related to their isolation. Most occupy very small islands with few mammalian predators. Fleeing has proven to be a very effective mechanism, both for hunting and avoiding predation, but it is also an incredibly inefficient use of an animal’s energy. In smaller habitats with fewer prey to choose from, flight is a liability rather than an asset.
Rails aside, most ratite species are exceptionally large – although the most prominent ratites have a size much larger than the peacock. emus can weigh up to 120 pounds. Size is an evolutionary trait that is inversely related to flight. Being large reduces the number of natural predators that could potentially target you, while requiring disproportionately more energy for foraging or hunting. In environments where flight was less than ideal for survival, birds developed new modes of locomotion. That doesn’t mean the wings just become vestigial organs.
ostriches have developed powerful legs that can be a gruesome defense tool, in addition to being able to reach speeds of 50 miles per hour. Feathers help stabilize these round birds at high speeds, but they can also be extended like a parachute to help them break. Meanwhile, the flippers of the penguin have evolved to look more like oars – a natural extension of the tool suitable for birds that hunt underwater.
What does flying mean to birds?
How far, how long and how fast bird can fly is both the result of its environment and a reflection of how it affects its environment. At what age a bird flies can tell you a lot about how it has developed. For in the same way that ostriches and penguins have adapted their wings to accommodate different forms of mobility, flightless birds have evolved different methods of flight depending on their environment. The scientific community is in disagreement about how or why wings evolved in the first place, and that complicates our understanding of what flying should even look like.
There are currently three hypotheses: that wings evolved as an extension of jumping with gliding as an intermediate process, that they evolved to help stabilize the body while running up slopes, and that they evolved from predators that jumped from trees to their prey.
How long a bird can keep flying doesn’t necessarily say much about its evolutionary effectiveness. falcons use gravity to their advantage, and they’ve evolved wings that allow them to dive down at high speed, grab prey from the air and return to the top without barely a pause. Seabirds have typically evolved wings that allow them to actively fly without clapping — an evolution that allows them to spend much of their time above water without expending too much energy.
Size is a factor in why ostriches and emus don’t fly, but it is not a mitigating factor for all birds. The wandering albatross has an incredible wingspan of 12 feet, and they are known to travel for years on end without resting on solid ground. It is no coincidence that they have developed wings that ability to slide.
Can peacocks fly?
Peacocks can fly, but they don’t use that ability in the same way that most of their bird species do. The average peacock will only spend 2% of its time in flight – nor are they particularly graceful birds in flight. As with most ratites, their specific sense of flight is linked to the specific conditions of their environment. Unlike most flightless birds, they use their wings neither to migrate nor to alight on prey. Instead, flight has evolved as a secondary method of navigation, with their primary means of locomotion being their feet. Their claws allow them to reach speeds of 24 miles per hour, and their claws can also serve as a brutal defense mechanism against predators.
It’s an evolution that makes sense when you consider that these birds are capable collectors. They are closely related to pheasants, chickens, and turkeys – and their habits are therefore quite similar. Peacocks hunt and fo
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ge on the ground and eat an omnivorous diet that can range in size from berries, insects, and seeds too small mammals and lizards. And while the train of feathers that follows them attracts many predators, it can tear away without injuring the bird. Flight serves primarily not as a means of normal mobility, but as a self-contained defense mechanism. Peacocks will use flies to launch themselves vertically into the air to sleep. These birds will escape into the canopies of trees to actively evade predators and as a place to sleep safely at night.
How far and high can peacocks fly?
What qualifies as flight for the peacock would hardly be recorded as taking off for most birds. When taking off to a roost, a peacock lets its paws do most of the work. A peacock often starts running and jumps a few times to build momentum before finally launching itself. By flapping their wings furiously, they can reach a height of about two meters, about double their length. But due to the weight and design of peacocks, they cannot stay in the air for long. While they can take a little distance from launching higher branches, the average peacock won’t clear a range of more than about 300 feet. That’s considerably further than a chicken and comparable to a turkey.
How fast can peacocks fly?
Since their flight is usually vertical and lasts only a few seconds at a time, it is difficult to establish an exact flight speed for a peacock. Fortunately neither speed nor distance is a problem for peacocks. They only need to fly to soar in and out of their roosts, clearing the occasional obstacles. This is rarely a problem as the environment these birds live in allows them to survive all seasons without migrating. Despite peacocks having tails that can stretch as much as six feet, these colorful tail feathers don’t seem to have a noticeable effect on how fast or how high a peacock can fly.
At what age do peacocks learn to fly?
Peacock chicks usually adore their mothers, who protect them from extreme temperatures by cuddling the chicks under their wings. But since flying is one of this bird’s main defense mechanisms, learning is a priority. Chicks are physically capable of flying within a few days of birth, but learning the basics can be a dangerous and time-consuming process. Mothers will usually encourage the chicks to practice their flying skills in the evenings, and they will begin taking lessons in running and foraging while under their mother’s care. How old a peacock becomes a competent flier can vary from chick to chick, but most will gain the skills by the time their mother leaves them at about six months of age.
Next one: Do penguins have teeth?
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