Want to know how peafowls have sex? US expert tells truth, debunks judge’s brahmachari theory

Peacocks are not brahmachari, they’ve a lot of sex: US expert debunks judge’s theory

New Delhi, June 5: So, are you googling to find out how actually peafowls mate in the wake of the outrageous statement made by a former judge of the Rajasthan High Court? During your internet search you might have come across many theories--right from scientific to mythological ones.

A US researcher, who has spent a decade studying the sexual behaviour of peacocks and peahens, has revealed some interesting observations regarding the mating process of the fowls to Scroll.

Jessica Yorzinzki, assistant professor at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences of Texas A&M University, US, debunked retired judge Mahesh Sharma's theory that peacocks are brahmachari (celibate).

"The peacock is a lifelong brahmachari or celibate," said Sharma. "It never has sex with the peahen. The peahen gets pregnant after swallowing the tears of the peacock," he added.

Sharma came up with the "theory" to stress on the need to make cow the national animal as cow is far more "pious" than peacock, the national bird.

While social media had a great time with Sharma's "no sex" ideology about the bird, scientific reality as revealed by Yorzinzki is far different from what is being told to us by the judge.

"Since I've been studying the mating behaviour of peafowl for the past ten years, it is definitely shocking to hear that statement. We all need to get on the same page of what is going on in the mating system of these birds. There is no scientific validity in the claim that peafowl do not copulate," said Yorzinzki.

According to Yorzinzki, peaheans choose their partners.

"Peafowl, in particular, have an unusual mating system. They are called a lekking species, a certain type of mating system where a female has the choice of the type of male she wants to mate with. If the female is not interested in the male, nothing can happen. The males set up display areas where they show off their feathers and the females have complete choice of which males they want to mate with," she said.

"This means that, generally speaking, females mate every season, and they mate with one male, multiple males or the same male multiple times. So they're definitely engaging in a lot of copulatory behaviour," she added.

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