A peacock is a male peafowl, whilst a peahen is a female peafowl. Peafowl incorporates the Indian peafowl (since the species originated in India) and the closely related Congo peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin. The Indian male peafowl has probably the most extravagant plumage of any bird, which includes an incredibly large train of iridescent feathers on its tail.

An interested peahen will typically halt right in front of the peacock during a courtship display, to evaluate the male's plumage at a 90-degree angle to the feather's surface. The male will then spin and show off his feathers around 45° to the right of the sun's azimuth, allowing the sunlight to highlight his train's iridescence. The male will turn to face the female and shiver his train to initiate mating if she choose to engage with him.

(Note that in one of the images herewith posted, the peacock is striding at Sant'Anton Gardens, in Malta. Can you spot which one from the above images is it?)

For other posts in this group related to iridescence, please view:

zafoid.com/post/view/12711
zafoid.com/post/view/11719