Narcissistic Peafowl

This morning, in a large park, I caught this guy trying real hard to get a date... He's a peafowl. This term can refer to the two species of bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. Peafowl are best known for the male's extravagant tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, and the female a peahen. The two species, believed to be polygamous, are:
* Indian Peafowl, Pavo cristatus, a resident breeder in the South Asia. The peacock is designated as the national bird of India and the provincial bird of the Punjab (India).
* Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus. Breeds from Burma east to Java. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the Green Peafowl as vulnerable to extinction due to hunting and a reduction in extent and quality of habitat.

This guy from India (see? he's got a beautiful blue suit,) was seen here flaring out his feathers when trying to get the attention of a peahen near by. I was not sure if she's beautiful and sexy because I couldn't tell, but he was doing the best he could, turning around and around like a love sick top. I have a few shots when he was trying to show off his rear side... but he is more handsome in this view. As an after thought, I hope he was not trying to impress me!

Peafowl are omnivorous and they eat most plant parts, flower petals, seed heads, insects and other arthropods, reptiles, and amphibians. During the mating season they often emit a very loud high pitched cry. Today, that's all I heard all morning. All of these guys must be in heat.

In Greco-Roman mythology the Peacock is identified with the goddess Hera, Goddess of Love and Marriage. In Hinduism, the Peacock is associated with Lakshmi, a deity representing benevolence, patience, kindness, compassion and good luck. The Peacock is associated with Kwan-yin in Asian spirituality. Kwan-yin (or Quan Yin) is also an emblem of love, compassionate watchfulness, good-will, nurturing, and kind-heartedness. So, true to these mythologies, this guy was asking for love. After watching a while, I think he was going to have a very bad day because miss peahen did not seem to be interested at all.