Should we include descriptions on the Image Database?

[Garden Peas]

Just for the sake of argument, is this the kind of information that would be helpful to people wanting to know what particular colors/patterns look like?
Of course, not all these criteria would be required for every color/pattern, especially not for more monochromatic birds and for hens.
Or do you guys find narrative descriptions more useful?

General description, subject to variation

Peacock
Crest:
Head:
Eyes:
Distinctive pattern around eyes:
Facial skin:
Upper back of neck (nape):
Neck:
Breast:
Abdomen:
Upper back (mantle):
Wings, including primaries, secondaries, and coverts:
Train feathers:
Ocelli:
Tail feathers:
Leg feathers:
Legs/feet:

Peahen
Crest:
Head:
Eyes:
Distinctive pattern around eyes:
Facial skin:
Upper back of neck (nape):
Neck:
Breast:
Abdomen:
Upper back (mantle):
Wings, including primaries, secondaries, and coverts:
Train feathers:
Ocelli:
Tail feathers:
Leg feathers:
Legs/feet:


*Critical points for the identification of this color/pattern:
*Particular issues relating to breeding


By the way, that Amy's site is an advertising nightmare!

I appreciate what you are trying to do, and the energy you are putting toward it. And I'm not that big on narratives. But truthfully? The lists made my eyes hurt

and then they glazed over, and I couldn't even read all the way down

 

[Garden Peas]

Yes, all the more reason for a nice new descriptive database. Maybe to combine the both of best worlds, you could take an image of for example, an India blue peacock with arrows to different places on his body like the neck and say, "Adult India blue peacocks will have a blue colored neck, and yearling India blue peacocks will have a blue neck with a slight green shine until they get older."
This is just a drawing but it shows what I have in mind as just an idea:


I do like the idea of descriptions with the images. However you do it, I think it will be very helpful especially to new peafowl people.

Nice job on the illustration, and yes, the comparative information is very helpful to point up the differences

 

[Garden Peas]

Oh no! I am one of them! A double agent!

And I was trying to be polite and not mention any names... but it's no secret that you've been on there for a long time

Did you first start over there or here on BYC?

And speaking of which, did you see that Jacky wrote in a few days ago, asking about silver pied genetics? I just saw it last night, and sent back a long post, as well as an invitation to join us here at BYC. I didn't bother to translate any of it, though. AuguredIn, if you speak any french (or if you don't mind google translate), you can check out the discussion over there and see if I got it close to right

I do hope Jacky joins us here, as I don't recall hearing from him for a long time, and I always enjoyed his posts. I haven't been able to get my keyboard to make diacritical marks over on the UPA list serve, so I'm sure reading my responses is close to torture for him

I should just answer with my cellphone, I suppose, but it takes forever to write even a little bit on that. Maybe someone can tell me how to access a french character set on the computer?

 

[MinxFox]

And I was trying to be polite and not mention any names... but it's no secret that you've been on there for a long time

Did you first start over there or here on BYC?

And speaking of which, did you see that Jacky wrote in a few days ago, asking about silver pied genetics? I just saw it last night, and sent back a long post, as well as an invitation to join us here at BYC. I didn't bother to translate any of it, though. AuguredIn, if you speak any french (or if you don't mind google translate), you can check out the discussion over there and see if I got it close to right

I do hope Jacky joins us here, as I don't recall hearing from him for a long time, and I always enjoyed his posts. I haven't been able to get my keyboard to make diacritical marks over on the UPA list serve, so I'm sure reading my responses is close to torture for him

I should just answer with my cellphone, I suppose, but it takes forever to write even a little bit on that. Maybe someone can tell me how to access a french character set on the computer?

I started out on the UPA forum. Back then it was a little more active. Kat I think would still post interesting photos of her peacocks covered in ice or flying off of her balcony. I don't think I was a member for long before I got peafowl, then after maybe a year or so of having them I became a UPA member, and have STILL not been able to travel out to a convention which I am very upset about. In the past they had one at Rocking BAB Ranch (before I was a member or even had peafowl probably). If they had one there again I would surely be able to go, but they hold them far away now. I think sometimes people on the UPA forum would mention BYC, so I would sometimes scan the topics on here. I always enjoyed reading what Deerman said, and I joined BYC just because of Deerman's great advise, plus how much more active this place is. Even after that I still got on the UPA forum, and it helped save Peep's life when he was having trouble hatching. It was Doug of DM farms that saw my post over on the UPA forum and called me to tell me how to help him out. I just wish the UPA forum wasn't so slow, but if you dig back in old forum posts on this site, you find out that the UPA forum was created because they were inspired by the BYC peafowl section which I found interesting. A big downfall of the UPA forum is how hard it is to upload pictures.

I saw that the topic was in French, and I didn't even attempt to translate it!

 

[Garden Peas]

He said they are having a discussion there in France about silver pied genetics, and asked if we could tell him who was right.

 

[Trefoil]

Just for the sake of argument, is this the kind of information that would be helpful to people wanting to know what particular colors/patterns look like?
Of course, not all these criteria would be required for every color/pattern, especially not for more monochromatic birds and for hens.
Or do you guys find narrative descriptions more useful?

General description, subject to variation

Peacock
Crest:
Head:
Eyes:
Distinctive pattern around eyes:
Facial skin:
Upper back of neck (nape):
Neck:
Breast:
Abdomen:
Upper back (mantle):
Wings, including primaries, secondaries, and coverts:
Train feathers:
Ocelli:
Tail feathers:
Leg feathers:
Legs/feet:

Peahen
Crest:
Head:
Eyes:
Distinctive pattern around eyes:
Facial skin:
Upper back of neck (nape):
Neck:
Breast:
Abdomen:
Upper back (mantle):
Wings, including primaries, secondaries, and coverts:
Train feathers:
Ocelli:
Tail feathers:
Leg feathers:
Legs/feet:


*Critical points for the identification of this color/pattern:
*Particular issues relating to breeding


By the way, that Amy's site is an advertising nightmare!

I don't get the advertisements, ad block . I prefer narrative to the lists.

I do like the idea of descriptions with the images. However you do it, I think it will be very helpful especially to new peafowl people.

This is excellent, and combined with Arbor's picture comparison gets my vote. Between the two, one gets a complete description that is easily followed. You people are Great.

In the future, I hope to have photos of males of each colour perched beside the male of a normal IB. This will give one of the best comparisons. Just like the following photo (note, this is not my photo, and it is being used as an amazing example of what I'd like to do)

IB on left, bronze on right

Between you and Minxfox, I think you've got it.

He said they are having a discussion there in France about silver pied genetics, and asked if we could tell him who was right.

That poor fool

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Thanks so much for the input, you guys. Really great ideas!
OK, the list is out!

Sorry, I tend to have a list and chart approach to things!

I agree that having two colors/patterns side by side to illustrate the differences could be helpful.
Although images like the one Arbor posted would be ideal, even if they are two separate photos it seems like it would have the same function.

What I'm gathering from these comments is that you would like to see both:
1) A narrative description of the general characteristics of the color/pattern, and
2) An image or set of images to help the viewer understand the color/pattern distinguishing characteristics (how to tell that your bird is an A and not a B).

 

[KsKingBee]

 

[new 2 pfowl]

In order to accomplish this task, what about a Homework Assignment?

Some of you like the UPA description of Opal (good job UPA! from http://www.unitedpeafowlassociation.org/OpalPeafowl.html):

Opal Peacock (pavo cristatus mutation brown and opal)

Male - Crest, head and neck are deep gray. Body is gray. Head and neck have
aquamarine tint that gives the opal gemstone effect. Wings are gray. Breast is lighter
with purplish brown overtones. Tail shows deep olive gray tones with opal, black and
copper ocelli.
Peahen - Gray crest, head and some primaries. Neck has some opal
color sheen. Rest of body is light dove gray. Breast is very light, almost
creamy.​

It appears that this individual wrote the description while looking at the bird, not from memory.

So, any of you who are willing to contribute...
1. Step outside, sit near your peas, pick out a particular color/pattern, and take a very careful look!
2. Write a brief description, similar to the description of the Opal (if possible, of a less common color/pattern - we probably don't need a lot of descriptions of IB)
3. Post it here, and we will try to help refine it if needed.

What do you guys think, will this work?

 

[Trefoil]

I think that's a good idea. I don't have adults of any rare colors, but I can take a stab at purple BS hen. In the light tomorrow.