The Dance of the Peacock

Peacock mating rituals can be an amusing study in why it's just too danged hard to find a suitable as well as willing partner.

From what I've read and heard, courting rituals today are even stranger than they were when I grew up in the 1960s. That era pivoted mating etiquette from restrictive Victorian values to free love spiced with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. At least in those Jurassic days, we dated humans. The latest trend, and I hope it’s only a trend, is to program an A.I. avatar and have an affair with a bot on a cell phone. And if trouble ensues, reprogram the bot! No muss, no fuss, no hurt feelings or abusive reprisals.

Ummmm … I get it … I think … but living and breeding with a flesh and blood human has always had its pitfalls. That’s why it was once called the War of the Sexes. Even if one’s mate is of the same or similar gender, those pitfalls can’t be avoided.

That said, we might compare ourselves to other species and their challenges. It seems that making matches in the animal kingdom can be a hit or miss affair as well.

Decades ago, I volunteered on a wildlife refuge in Scotts Valley, CA. Jeanne, the owner, sheltered animal "throwaways" on about five acres of shifting sand. Tiny by comparison to other rescues across the nation, it took in just about anything from barnyard birds to large cats.

Cuffy and Samantha, a pair of cougar siblings, were my favorites. There was also a shy black panther, relinquished to Jeanne's care by an owner who thought the kitten was just so cute, but the adult was a bit too much. A reclusive bobcat hung out in a wooden box perched high upon a pole with a ramp for access. We rarely saw him at all. Jeanne claimed he had wandered into the refuge one day and allowed himself to be gathered up and placed in his own pen to live out his waning days.

Much more than a retirement home for geriatric critters, in Spring the rescue devolved into a rapacious gang bang among the feathered folk. "No wonder they call them fowl," Jeanne exclaimed one day as she picked up the carcass of a ravaged duck. Life isn't pretty in the barnyard when the hormones kick in. Not all birds are so violent in their desires, however. Some employ rituals to woo their intended mates with dignity and a bit of flare.

Among those that graced the place was a flock of peacocks, sometimes referred to as a pride or a muster. I really like the collective form of ostentation. When you witness a peacock courting a peahen, that term is truly appropriate.

Like almost all female birds, peahens wear a drab brownish-grey frock that looks much like the dust they bathe in. Only a collar of brilliant colors circle their necks. Their male cohorts, on the other hand, are among the most outlandish dressers in the avian world. Oh, there's ample competition out there from Birds of Paradise, flamingoes, and parrots, but nothing struts its stuff like a peacock.

In fact, actor George Eads once said that in Texas a young man parading around with his shirt unbuttoned to display his masculine chest hair and muscles was said to be "peacockin'."

Photo by Philippe Oursel on Unsplash

Back in Scotts Valley, our erstwhile peacocks do their own peacockin' in regards to the ladies. And while there are bunches of birds with outrageously long tails, peacocks actually use theirs in their dance of love. One day, I watched this elaborate display with a blow-by-blow narration from Mike, a fellow volunteer.

"As the peacock spreads his magnificent tail, he approaches his chosen female. First, he unfurls the feathers to show off his beauty and strength. The tail fans out with an iridescent pattern of eyes pointing downward? All eyes are upon him."

The chosen peahen has no clue she was selected by this specimen of virility because she's too busy pecking the ground. Perhaps she's quite bored with the whole Spring Free-for-All and pecks aimlessly to express her distain.

The narrative continues: "See how he curls the tops of his tail feathers inward. He's forming an amphitheater with himself as the star performer."

The feathers shake in a shivering motion, as if the thought of copulation with this feminine delight is more than he can endure.

"Now he's signaling his passionate ardor to attract her attention. She's the only one that will satisfy him. He must have her."

She's the only peahen I can see in the yard at that moment, so I guess she'll just have to do.

The hen hasn't even looked up to see what commotion is stirring the air around her. Mike is as persistent as the peacock in continuing this epic drama. "Not to be discouraged by her coyness, he follows her around until she finally recognizes his manliness and accepts his favors."

By this time, I was trying to squelch my laughter at the whole process. The hen must have felt the same way. Instead, of being aroused by the peacock's masculine supremacy, she saunters off without a whiff of interest.

Photo by Sneha Cecil on Unsplash

Defeated, the peacock folds his tail to drag along the ground. All that ostentation to gain the glance of a dusty old female. I had to pity the poor guy. He put forth his best and she didn't even see him. So, that's what it's like being a male … of any species. Putting themselves out there to be rejected with a haughty retort, scathing accusation, or total disregard.

It truly is a miracle that, under these challenging circumstances, life on this planet has sustained itself at all. Up to now, however, all of us living, breathing, and grossly imperfect species have managed to blunder our way into the marital chamber to keep life happening on planet earth. And I hope for humanity’s sake it’s a trend that will continue.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to explore other writings in the Ring Around the Basin Archive. I also love to read your comments, so please share your thoughts. Let’s start a conversation. And if you wish to support my writings, please consider subscribing or upgrading to a paid subscription. It’s now only $50/year. Even better, I would appreciate it if you could share Ring Around the Basin with your friends. Thank you!

All my books, Paradise Ridge, When the Horses Come and Go, and Ghost in the Forest are currently available on Kindle. Ghost in the Forest, is also available in paperback. Paradise Ridge is out-of-print, but the Kindle version is re-edited and better quality.

Book Review of Ghost in the Forest:

E.R. Flynn, Illustrator, Cartoonist, Storyteller and Creator of "Escape from Clowntown Comics" here on Substack.

"Ghost in The Forest' is a great read! Take note People. If you love stories about environmentalism and nature, its clash with urban mindsets, as well as personal transformation, this is the book for you!

"Ghost in The Forest" is a quick 126-page read. It's the story of Dori, a woman trapped in a mix of grief over parental loss and refusing to accept how her hometown and her friends have changed over the years. Because of this, Dori has become a recluse and a self-imposed misanthrope who finds more comfort amongst the hiking trails around her hometown of Morristown than in her dealings with the raw reality of other humans.

The book, in some ways, resembled Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire” in that the story follows a protagonist's love of nature and angst about humans encroaching on it. In this case, it’s how Morristown is transforming into a mountain biking destination where cyclists run rampant on trails and nature.

However, a tragedy involving said mountain biking becomes a major pivot point for Dori, leading to a series of events that eventually bring about personal evolution and discovery.

If you're a nature lover, this book is a must-read. It beautifully portrays the clash between environmentalism and urban mindsets and the journey of personal transformation. The book's vivid descriptions of nature and the protagonist's love for it will surely intrigue you.

Paradise Ridge Review by western author D. B. Jackson:

If you draw circle roughly around an area that includes northern Nevada, southern Oregon, and southern Idaho, within that circle exists a culture and people who live a lifestyle largely untouched by modern values. These are the "buckaroos" and Basque characters author Sue Cauhape brings to life in her literary novel, "Paradise Ridge".

Leandro, the illegitimate seventh son of patriarch Xavier Arriaga and his mistress, Gisela, is at the center of this intriguing story that travels exceedingly successfully at both the personal level of the characters, as well as the compelling level where the story is told.

Cauhape writes in a literary style that reminds me of Annie Poulx. Paradise Ridge, on the surface, appears to be an upscale Western novel...once inside the pages, you will soon discover a potential classic waiting to be discovered.

I rated this book a 5...because that's all the stars there were.