At least I think it is a dance.
When you spend a lot of time watching your own animals and birds and they do something new it is immediately apparent. And entrancing. And hopefully I have the camera, and hopefully they are not in a dark corner. Well I did have Camera house but Godot and Tui were in a dark corner. Circling each other.
They were most definitely dancing around each other. She had her wings down and he had his tail up. Though by the time I got back with the camera the tail was down but the dance continued. There was a lot of movement which is reflected in the images. You just don’t have time to rattle about with settings on a camera when the action is suddenly ON. So, watch this sequence. The blur of movement kind of adds to it I think. Tell me what you think?
Then they start all over again. Round and round circling each other then pausing jumping across and over each other like Capoeira dancers. See how high they are holding their heads.
None of this is normal behaviour. Is it a preliminary courtship dance? A battle? He has had his tail up a lot lately but I have not seen this before. Look at her wings, down like that. And circling each other with their heads high. And they did it again and again. We are getting close to the mating season. I wonder if I should put the peacock penthouse on standby.
Though we cannot get our hopes up. Godot is only two years old. Technically a peacock needs to be three with a long tail to breed. But he is our only male. No competition – You never know.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
51 responses to “Peafowl Dancers”
The most elegant Flamenco dancers seen for a while. Or what a tango. That 5th picture with the blurred wing is quite dramatic.
If it were a confrontational situation, I would think they would both have their feathers fluffed out, looking as big as possible. Looks like a beautiful dance.
When I was living on the tundra in Alaska, I was fortunate to come upon two Sandhill cranes doing a mating dance. And it was very similar to what you described Celi! I agree that ‘love is in the air’! xo
I read this post with a whisper. a la David Attenborough . I’m a big fan of dance animal or otherwise.
AHA! Jean you have all the best references in your wild dancers brain.. have you ever seen a capoeira dance? it is more of a challenge or fight really.. I had a troupe staying at my house in NZ one winter when they were training close by.. it is terrifying.. and exhilarating.. very intense..
I know of capoeira. I know how to say, ” capoeira ” like those of capoeira countries. I’ve told off capoeira people for f-ing up our tap floor. I have never seen capoeira in action. Shame on me. I hope your floor recovered from any rehearsal that may have taken place.
I threw them all outside! c
Good onya! … look at me speaking southern hemisphere!
Looking like a mating dance to me! Love the high heads! Great job having camera house at the ready … you capture a lot of great spontaneous action. Thinking ‘Little Godots’ are in your future.
usually my girls start to lay later in the summer and then he will be a little older so it could happen. And a white peacock and a blue peahen are likely to produce : 1/2 pie bald, 1/4 white and 1/4 blue chicks.. then it really gets interesting..
I will play this in the barn! You never know.. might help.. c
It def looks like a courtship dance to me . I have seen a capoeira troop dance in Ibiza, as you sit in the square having a drink they perform in front of you, amazing to watch x
They are terrifying aren’t they. We certainly had injuries as they were learning.. have to be very agile.. c
I am leaning toward eggs this spring, not summer!
Linda ♪♫❤
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Those two are practicing and getting ready for the real thing. Dance, Dance, the night away.
Fingers crossed for the pea dancers. I am almost jealous, I could do with a little dancing and rmancing around me!
My money is on courtship. Sometimes they get ideas in their head long before they’re able to make the money shot. I would love to see baby peafowl!
I was hoping you would chime in Heather, I will have them in their run this year so if someone does lay I can nick a few for incubation and leave them a few for sitting on. Pania is such a broody old hen. Between us (and if Godot is fertile) we might yet get a chick.. c
Pania is an old soul.
Some of our juvenile tortoises go through the motions of breeding a few years before they are actually ready to do the job. And we get infertile eggs the first year sometimes. But it’s good practice, right?
true that.. c
How fabulous! Nothing like a good dance .. Fingers crossed
I love that you caught the movement and Godot’s tail display… yep, courtship 🙂 It’s been a long cold winter and the peas’ are thinking springtime thoughts!
We need David Attenborough to give us a commentary and his learned opinion. Whether it leads to “the money shot” as Heather so hilariously said……snorted my tea over that one………it’s beautiful.
Nothing better than to happen on a good courtship display… stops ya right in yer tracks! What a fabulous capture. 🙂