The Beauty of Peacock Feathers

Apparently pigments don't have much to do with it.

"The vivid colors of a peacock feather do not arise entirely from pigments - in fact, the role of pigments may be minimal. The structure of the feather plays a role in the color ... there [are] structural arrays in the barbules of the peacock feather which were measurably different for the different colored regions. The barbules are described as straplike "twigs" which come off the branches of the peacock feather.

There are "subtle variations in color as well as areas which seem to "fire" with more reflected intensity than neighboring regions. Iridescence in the colored regions is taken as evidence of color which is structural in its origin, as opposed to pigment color. " [1]

This structural effect which results in perceptions of colors are present in butterflies and in other bird feathers, as well.

Specifically:
"When light shines on the feather, we see thousands of glimmering colored spots, each caused by minuscule bowl-shaped indentations. Stronger magnification reveals microscopic lamellae (thin plate-like layers) at the bottom of the indentations."

Another,simpler, way it is explained is that it is "a complex structure that changes color with the angle of incident light." The photonic crystals are tiny, intricate two-dimensional crystal-like structures which make up the barbules. "Slight variations in the arrangement of keratin and melanin are responsible for the palette of colors found in the eye of a peacock's tail feather. ..in peacock feathers, it is the precise structural array of melanin rods in keratin that creates different colors, with one array reflecting back yellow light, for example, and a slightly different arrangement reflecting back blue light." More information from NYT.

So, except for the role of black, the colors which we perceive from looking at the peacock are created by the way the feathers catch and throw off light.

Sir Isaac Newton, in the 17th- and 18th-century, was among the first to hypothesize this structural basis for the colors, but it is only recently that Chinese scientists uncovered the full explanation.

I'm not sure I understand all the science involved, but the upstart of it is that pigments, which we usually think of as giving color, like in the human iris of the eye or in hair, has very little to do with the wonderfully bright and attractive colors of many birds and butterflies....and in this case the peacock's feathers.

Jian Xi and his cohorts have their abstract online, if you want the discovery straight from the horses mouth: Click here for the full story.

In Christian symbolism the peacock is often used as a symbol of vanity because of its beauty and the manner it displays the tail feathers. There are other meanings, but less known and more esoteric. Saint Augustine associated peacocks with the resurrection. In the Bible, an account of it being brought to Solomon by his ships from Tarshish (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chr. 9:21) is recorded.

Babylonians and Persians regarded the peacock as the guardian of loyalty, and denoting royalty. Hindus considered them as good luck, other Asian cultures signify love and protection with them.

A good essay on the peacock motif in cultures can be found at Symbolism Sunday

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Breeds available are the Indian or Blue Peafowl, Pavo cristatus, or the Javan or Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus. The Green is considered the more beautiful, but the Blue is hardier.

• The adults do well on turkey grower and some scratch (especially cracked corn in the cold months) in their feed ration. Greens from the grocer are always helpful during the confined months


• If you use a flat perch like a 2x4 they will tend to sit on their feet when it is very cold and thereby avoid frost bite.


• Be careful feeding any scraps, green or otherwise, when it is warm, for peas are very susceptible to botulism


• Peacocks become easily stressed


• They need a lot of room to move around