Peafowl are large, colorful birds famous for their spectacular tail feathers, though that description only fits half of them. The males, called peacocks, have those stunning long tail feathers that fan out in a dazzling display of blue, green, and gold eyespots. The females, called peahens, wear more modest brown and gray feathers. Together, males and females are called peafowl.

Native to Asia, peafowl have been kept by humans for thousands of years. Ancient rulers prized them as symbols of beauty and status. Today you might see them in zoos, parks, or on farms. They strut around with surprising confidence for birds, and their loud, harsh cry sounds nothing like their elegant appearance suggests.

When a peacock spreads his tail feathers in that famous fan display, he's trying to impress peahens during mating season. Those eyespots shimmer and shake as he rattles his feathers. Peafowl are close relatives of pheasants, belonging to the same bird family. The word peafowl is useful when you want to talk about both males and females together, or when you simply don't know which you're looking at.