Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
These two pictures are of a peahen (top photo from April 2019, and bird on the left in the bottom is the same bird in November 2019) that is currently going through a transformation from traditional hen plumage to cock plumage- which I suppose makes him a peacock now! The bird is 17 years old and while this sort of transformation is not unheard of (called “henopause” because it usually happens to older hens), it’s not usually such a stark difference. This bird went all out though!
Another bird, this one only 2 years old, was posted yesterday. The owner had this bird genetically tested after she noticed a lack of displaying among other typical “peacock” behavior. The result came back as a hen, which means most likely this bird’s working ovary (birds only develop one, the left one) has been compromised or failed to develop normally, resulting in male plumage at a very young age.
Because this transition only occurs when the hen’s working ovary (they only have 1, the left one) stops working (or fails to start), thus ceasing production of the hormones which suppress male plumage, they are not fertile. They also do not change sex organs, just their plumage.
It’s Pride again, so please enjoy my collection of trans peafowl!
Reblogging to hopefully circulate this again with some facts since apparently 99% of people are confused about birds:
1) When birds trust their owner, they will often lay their eggs around/on them. It’s very sweet and not at all gross. The eggs are exactly like chicken eggs but smaller. No I don’t eat them (because I hate eggs). They’re unfertilized (I don’t have a male pigeon) just like them too!
2) People have pet pigeons, it’s not out of the ordinary. And since most comments I get are “ONLY WHITE PEOPLE”…most pige owners I know are poc. So ok.
3) Pigeons are not “trash birds”. They’re very smart, clean and wonderful companion birds. She lays in my lap more than any cat I’ve ever had. :| Yes, she poops, but that’s why there are things like Kleenex (and there are pigeon “pants”, aka diapers).
Birds building nests in unconventional locations, unknowingly generating breathtaking symbolism and visual art > literally anything hollywood can hope to achieve