Day 5 - Crossing the Prairie

 

It's a stretch but peacocks are related to grouse! And it just so happened we unexpectedly came across a peacock on our travels east across the Colorado prairie today in route to our destination sage grouse lek in Kansas.

According to Britannica, peacocks are in the order of Galliforms which cover 290 species of game birds including common North American birds such as quail, turkey, pheasant and grouse. 

Male peacocks feature ornamental eyespots called ocelli which have evolved to impress the ladies. Female birds (peahens) of the species prefer the eye-shaped features on males over other shapes which independently evolved.
 

Watch this short video of a peacock at Bent's Old Fort Historic Site near La Junta, Colorado along the historic Santa Fe Trail. He is shaking his tail in what is called the "train rattle" and researchers still don't have an conclusive answer why this is done. Sound up to hear the rattle! Note: this peacock was free to roam the grounds and was not fenced in.



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