You are not seeing things, that’s a peacock on the road.
Like occasional gator sightings, or seeing a turtle cross the street, seeing a peacock on a Parkland side street is another reminder of how close we live to nature.
Peacock sightings are also a legacy of the fact that the Parkland and Coral Springs area used to be farm and ranch land. In the past few decades, new developments were added, but small farms are still thriving in our area.
These large pheasants are not native to Florida, or even the Americas. The most memorable peacock with blue and green plumage comes from the Indian subcontinent. They first arrived as pets or for specialty farms, and over time they were released or escaped into the wild. They are omnivorous, and will eat plants, flowers, seeds, insects, even reptiles, and amphibians. So South Florida is paradise for them.
Technically, peacocks are the male peafowls, whereas the peahens are the females. But the brilliant display exhibited by the males during mating season makes them a more iconic image for the species.
Throughout scientific history, there is much speculation about why peacocks have such a vibrant display. Darwin speculated that the peahens, through a long line of descent, must have “appreciated this superiority.” But scientists are not sure if the large tail plumage, or the train, is due to natural selection as Darwin postulated.
A multiyear study in Japan concluded that peahens did not show a preference for large trains. In fact, peacocks with more symmetrical, or elaborate train (more eyespots) affect the peahen’s choice of mate.
The eyespots, or ocelli, do seem to affect peahens. The angle at which they are displayed seems important to holding the peahen’s attention. The dance and rattling of the tail seem to be an attention-grabbing aspect of their ritual. For most human observers, it’s the eyespots that are most mesmerizing.
The eyespots are composed of intermeshed features held together by microhooks. The eyespot’s structure keeps the spots stable when the peacock vibrates his tail to attract the peahens. The vibration usually has a frequency of 25.6Hz, which is audible for the peahens, and able to keep the attention of most observers looking at it.
While scientists continue their research into this area, we can all enjoy these displays when we find them on the street or at a local farm. However, some in the neighborhood with a peafowl population may be more concerned about their noise. The typical peacock sound has been described as a cross between a bird call and a baby crying out.
Before you consider harming these gorgeous birds, keep in mind that even though peacocks are not native, they are protected under a Florida statute, which may result in a fine of $5,000 and/or up to a year in prison if you are found guilty of shooting a peacock. The penalty is even more if one tortures or intentionally harms a peacock—up to 10 years in prison.
You may see them mostly wobble or hop around. Peafowls can fly around a mile in a single flight, so with an abundance of food locally, they can quickly become wild and adapt to our southern Florida climate.
So you may find yourself face to face with a peafowl, even if you are not next door to a farm or do not park where these birds reside.
You may also find leucistic variants, which is a natural loss of pigmentation, similar to white lions and tigers you have seen. These are prized by some, and bred locally for pets.
This spring, hopefully you will be lucky enough to see them in person. If not, enjoy the pictures we have collected of local peacocks!