A peacock's tail is one of the most beautiful things in nature. It is made of around 200 long feathers, each one ending in an eye-like spot of blue, gold and green. The fan can be over 1.5 metres wide - wider than most front doors. When the peacock walks, the tail drags behind him like a royal cape.
Why such a showy tail? Peacocks display their fan to impress peahens. He shakes the feathers gently, making a soft rattling sound, and turns slowly so the colours catch the light. The peahens watch and choose who they like best. Scientists think peahens prefer males with the most eye-spots - it's like a feathery report card.
The colours in a peacock's feathers aren't made from paint or dye. The feathers are clear, but their surface has tiny ridges that bend light. The colour you see depends on the angle you look from. This trick is called 'iridescence' and it is the same reason a soap bubble or a puddle of oil has rainbow swirls.
Peacocks fly! Even with that big tail. They can fly up into trees to roost at night. They are also very vocal - their call is a loud, clear 'meow-aaah' sound that you can hear from far away. In Indian villages, people often say the peacocks call before the monsoon rains arrive.