Eyes in the Tail?

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Can eyes be in tails? No. I tell you, it can be. Better check. Well I am talking about the 'eyes' in the plumage of peacocks. You must have been fascinated by the resplendent colours of the peacocks tail, at least once in your life. If you have seen the dance of the male peacock, you must have been mesmerized.

Feathers of peacocks are used for decoration at homes in India. It is so much admired by people that patterns of peacock shape and feathers find a regular place in the motifs of sarees, kurtis and many times articles used in home decor. Lyrics portray the poets romantic mood in semblance with peacock dance.

Small girls keep the feathers of peacock in their notebooks , nourish it with chalk dust in their classrooms and believe one day they will duplicate. So that they could have two for one that they had cherished. Conservation fruits but  myths do not. I too was keen on getting my feathers doubled. Childhood! This is the time when candies can grow on trees :). Such innocence.

The way they have adapted with the changing scenario of the earth is commendable. They have survived dramatic climatic changes, predatory animals and man's destructive activities. Unlike small sparrows which has been put into red data list of IUCN, peacock continues to maintain its number, that is significant to not let it enter into the category of threatened species.

Why it has been so, as in why it continues to survive despite many adversities that are present. Is it because it is the bird of God? Scientists do not agree to the fact that as people love the bird, they choose to protect them. In Indian mythology it is believed that  peacock had dull feathers long ago, but  it helped Indra from the asura Ravana in a battle. So, in gratitude Indra made his feathers iridescent.

Females are generally seen to be ornamental, at least it is a must in India for them to be ornamental. A female is identified with ornamentation. Many accuse women not having sense of ornamentation to be 'non-males'. This is in context with the growing feminism, that was observed as a phenomenon in the past 100 years or so. But these birds, "Pride of India-Peacock", males exhibit biological ornaments-the iridescent feathers in its tail.

Peahens choose that male to be their potential mates which have numerous eyes in the tails. The more the number, the more healthier is the peacock. As in making the plumage body's energy is used and those who have all life-processes running on smoothly can only expend their energy in the making of the plumage. Females assure that this gene of 'of show off' is passed on to the up coming generation. Thus this admiration that the peacock gets is a tradition based on genetic selection- phenotypic  infact.