Is that peafowl at the zoo male or female ? [Questioning colour]

[DreamBird]

Okay so I went to the zoo today again, the whites are slowly coming out (I hope to see more males in the future, I'm a bit worried about them, we've seen a lot of kestrels around, hell, even kites. I don't know if they are harmful to peafowls, but I can't help the concern), and so I saw these two peahens. Of course, now these are looking like that because of dust, aren't they ?







I try to give you guys as many as I can so that you can tell me the difference (if any) between this colouring and the one in the first post. >.>
Is that the reason why you said the one in the first post is too uniform to be from dust bathing ?

 

[zazouse]

I think it is a new color.
my cameo has light and dark colored feathering like that.
heck even my blues feathers are light and dark

 

[9Catsz]

I'm a bit worried about them, we've seen a lot of kestrels around, hell, even kites. I don't know if they are harmful to peafowls, but I can't help the concern), and so I saw these two peahens.

Kestrels and kites aren't going to bother adult peafowl.

 

[DAS]

Dreambird, I think you're going to have to keep making trips to the zoo

I still do not think the color is from dust bathing. And I would love to see more photos of these birds.

 

[DreamBird]

@ Zazouse - A mutation going from white to end up looking like Cameo-peach-like fowls ?

@9Catsz - I'm relieved to hear that...I guess they will all go back to their usual places in a few months, when breeding season approaches again.

@ DAS - More trips, eh ? Okay, I don't mind, I'm really curious about them as well.

One peahen for sure I can recognize when I get there, because her beak isn't as good looking as the others, so if I can find her again, I'll try to see if she looks the same, or more brown, or all white. And I'll be on the look for our mysterious hen in the first posts as well.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

If these birds was dust bathing,,the darker feathers would be on the underside,or side of the bird,,the side wing area.I've watched my hens dust bath and they get on their side almost to the point of being upside down,,but their upper part of their necks do not get dirty,,and to look at the complete hen with so many feathers scattered on the topside of her back,and even her shoulder part of the wings,,seems impossible she is athletic enough to evenly dust herself so all her darker feathers are so uniform in being the same hue of yellow-tan. Another thought,,look close at her neck in the first pic of post 37,,there is considerable darker feathers,and between the darker ones,there is lighter ones,,if she got this way from dust bathing,,her head would need to be outstretched forward while she is laying in the dirt,,and be laying flat to get these feathers dirty,,but once she would move her neck in the normal position,the lighter feathers would have been the ones that was covered up and not in contact with the dirt,,compare her neck to a slinky,,if the slinky is tight and put in dirt,only the outside edge of the slinky would get dirty,,but if you stretched the slinky,then put it into dirt,the inner surfaces would also get dirty,,same theory with her neck,,if compact some feathers would get dirty and cover shorter feathers completely,,outstretched,, a lot more feathers would be dirty,,but to get this effect on her underside of her neck,,seems she would need to death roll like an alligator,,and stay stiff as a log with her neck close to her body and not outstretched at all,,and I've never witnessed my peas in such a position.This looks like a new color in a pied pattern????

 

[DreamBird]

Interesting explanation, Frenchblackcopper. I guess I'll definetely have to visit at least once a month to keep you all updated.

And would you guys agree that the one at the right in second pic of Post 31 is a male ?
Because its tail looks different than the hen at the left.

Here are some pics of it, screencaptured from a video I recorded that day :

In this one it is the last one in the background, second from left



And here is a close-up from pic number 2 in post 31 :



What do you guys think ? Looked like the "scales" just before its tail in the close-up picture. I am unsure with whites though.

 

[Bigcreekpeafowl]

You can be sure the coloration is not from dustbathing or stained.

But using my smartphone the screen is too darn small to see anything in detail.

Will check out the photos on the computer so I can see better.
I would talk with some personnel at the zoo who has knowledge of their background.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Better yet,,talk to the zoo about selling her,,I'll pay for the shipping!!

 

[SuperPeacockman]

I dont think it is from dust bathing either. Some of the feathers are colored while some are totally white, not what one would expect from dust bathing.