Peacocks

Living Wild

by Melissa Gish

A look at peacocks, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as the male's colorful plumage, behaviors, relationships with humans, and the protected status of Congo and green peacocks in the world today.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

46 pages, Library Binding

Published August 31, 2016

About the author

Melissa Gish is Associate Professor of English at Glenville State College, in West Virginia. She is the author of more than 100 juvenile educational books on such topics as biography, folklore, science, natural history, and wildlife.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large, colorful photographs of these majestic birds are the highlight of this nonfiction book about peacocks. The book is quite informative and I have to admit that I learned a lot about the birds, such as the following:

1. The (respective native) peacock is the national bird of both India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (p. 11)
2. The difference in size and color between males and females is called sexual dimorphism. (p. 15)
3. The iridescent color of their feathers is from biochromes, which are substances the body produces from chemical processes. (p. 15)
4. The long tail feathers are called covert feathers (p. 15)
5. At the height of mating season, a mature peacock's train can have as many as 200 individual feathers. (p. 15)
6. The distinctive eye-like image on the tail feathers is called an ocellus. (p. 16)
7. Peacocks can make noise as loud as a police siren - up to 100 decibels. (p. 16)
8. Their feet have three toes pointing forward and one toe pointing backwards, called anisodactyl feet. (p. 16)
9. They have four special cells called photoreceptors in each eye, which allows them to see ultraviolet light. (p. 19)
10. A group of peacocks is sometimes called an 'ostentation'. (p. 22)
11. The first egg (or eggs) that the peahen lays is called a decoy egg and is laid out in the open, after which the peahen heads in the opposite direction to lay the rest of her eggs. (p. 23)
12. The early Catholics adopted the peacock as a symbol of resurrection and immortality. (p. 31)
13. The peacock was so grateful for its beauty that it laid itself down face-forward five times in reverence to God. This is how the Muslim ritual of praying five times a day came to be. (p. 33)
14. The peacock spider of Australia dances and raises a colorful tail fan to impress females during courtship. (p. 41)

With a glossary, bibliography, and index, this is a fairly comprehensive book about this beautiful 'Phasian' bird.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for the toddler who loves peacocks and while he loved all the large and detailed photos, there was a bit too much information in this book for his attention span and level of comprehension. I, however, very much enjoyed its thoroughness and would recommend this book for anyone—child or otherwise—who is interested in peacocks on any level.

[Samaya]

Peacocks are very interesting animals. They get ~cocky~ get it. Any ways books by Melissa Gish are amazing. I think people who want to read this book should because it is very informational. I think all boys and girls should read this. If you need to know some stuff about peacocks the we should all read this book.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of non-fiction books about animals. I now have a better understanding of why feral peacocks are running around Salt Lake City, Utah.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for people of all ages! It tells the history, biology, and ecology of peafowl, plus it has a map, a glossary, and an index.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved peacocks, ever since I saw the feral blue peacocks living in my grandparents' backyard in FL, which my grandparents would feed and which would roost on the gutters, occasionally crying, "Help! Help!" This book claimed they yell, "Ay-yow!" instead, but it always sounded like "Help!" to me. I kept a fallen tail-feather for a long time.

I enjoyed the photography of this book, and there were interesting facts and mythologies. My favorite fact was that a group of peacocks are called an "ostentation" or a "party." A party of peacocks makes me smile.

My favorite mythology was Rumi's story about the peacock and the jackal, how the jackal tried to become a peacock. For his deception, the jackal became a symbol of bad (Sijjin), and the peacock, for trying to help the jackal admit his mistake, became a symbol of good (Illiyyin.)

I am also glad to learn that a peacock's long tail-feathers detach, if captured by a predator, allowing the peacock to escape. I've heard of some lizards losing their tails in similar escapes, but in the peacock's case, it's just the feathers.

I am sorry to hear that the green Java peacock and the Congo peacock are both endangered, even if the blue Indian peacock is doing well (some might say too well in being invasive.) Even if they are being an invasive nuisance, I should like to see Peacock Alley in Gould Canyon, near Los Angeles.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for anyone ages 9 and up who is interested in peacocks. The book is loaded with beautiful, full-color pictures and interesting facts--even myths and folklore. Gish covers the three species of peafowl and their challenges to survival. To keep the attention of young people, she references several pop culture appearances of peacocks. Children younger than 9 years old may still enjoy this book but may lose interest about halfway through.