By Caroline McCarty

A pondering of Pavo Cristatus, a male peafowl.

A group of peafowl is called a party.

Why is this gorgeous bird so feisty and aggressive? Maybe he is overprotective of his extravagant plumage? That would make sense. The spread of “eyes” is the most important tool for enticing a mate, and thus, creating offspring to continue the bloodline.Or maybe he is quick to judge others because he is in constant danger of being preyed upon. He perches in trees at night to protect himself.

Or maybe it is something else. Maybe the peacock has a special secret. He is, after all, a highly regarded symbol in many cultures, namely for renewal. A peacock loses his feathers so often that in a year’s time he will have a completely new set of iridescent magnificence. In other words, the peacock is constantly renewing himself.

Perhaps this peacock’s secret is so fragile that to get too close would expose it. Perhaps the feathers are there to distract others from this secret.