My aunt had peacocks..... the yells THEY made? So glad Secret didn't copy that one!
Ah yes. The peacock scream has been described as sounding like a woman being murdered or someone screaming for help. Very loud. Very dramatic. As expected from a peacock.
I just think it sounds like the background jungle sounds in a Tarzan movie. Perhaps I have developed an immunity from years of exposure.
I knew about the screaming before I got my peafowl and had also heard it in person before from a peahen who wandered onto my grandmother's farm, so I knew what I was in for. Peafowl are notorious wanderers and will fly away to greener pastures if they are not happy where they are or if they are in search of a mate. Both my uncle and my grandmother had "visiting peacocks" take up temporary residence on their farm for a few months before they wandered away again. I think I must be doing something right, because my birds have not wandered from my property in the five years that I have had them. They like where they are at.
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One interesting peacock fact - in addition to the blood-curdling scream, they also honk! It sounds just like a goose or swan and it is a sound of surprise or displeasure. If my peahen gets startled or upset, she doesn't scream. She honks.
The screaming is mostly related to their breeding season. They rarely scream in the fall or winter. But when spring arrives, the screaming begins. It seems to be equal parts mating call and alarm call.
It attracts potential mates from far away and warns of potential threats. Both male and female will scream, but males seem to scream a lot more. When Indigo, our male peacock, hears a loud noise or sees something strange, he will belt out a loud scream. They make for halfway decent watchdogs. Nobody sneaks up on a peacock farmer.
And in case you are wondering ... yes, peacocks scream at night. Sometimes quite frequently. Fortunately, my house has thick walls.