PEACOCK

 I crossed paths with this peacock on the grounds of the Brooklyn Zoo in New York. The Indian peafowl, also known as the blue peafowl, is one of the most striking birds in the world and is the nation bird of India. Males, called peacocks, are famous for their iridescent blue plumage and magnificent fan-like train of elongated upper tail feathers, adorned with shimmering "eye" patterns that they display during courtship. Females, or peahens, are more subdued in coloration, with brown and green plumage that provides camouflage while nesting. They are native to the Indian subcontinent. Indian peafowl thrive in forests, grasslands, and near human settlements where they are admired for their beauty and cultural symbolism of grace, pride and renewal.