Birds with long tails come in many varieties, but some of the most well-known include peacocks, pheasants, swallows, hummingbirds, and birds of paradise. The extra long tail feathers serve important purposes for courtship, flight, and balance.
Peacocks
One of the most recognizable birds with a long tail is the peacock. Male peacocks, known as peacocks, have an elaborate and colorful tail called a train. A peacock’s train can have over 200 feathered ocelli, each with an intricate eyespot design. The peacock can spread its train up to 6 feet wide to attract females during courtship. Despite its grandeur, the peacock’s train does not help with flying. Peacocks must take extra care when flying not to damage their long tail feathers. The train is also a burden during predator evasion, requiring the peacock to outmaneuver threats through dense vegetation. Still the advantages of attracting mates outweigh the encumbrance of its drag.
Significance of the Peacock Train
The peacock’s train serves multiple important functions:
- Attracts peahens for breeding
- Signals the male’s fitness due to the difficulty of surviving with such an elaborate tail
- The eyespots may mimic eyes to intimidate predators
Even though the train requires extra energy to grow and carry around, it provides visual conspicuousness that helps the peacock outcompete other males when attracting mates. The quality of the train signals the male’s genetic strength, as weaker peacocks cannot grow such vibrant, symmetrical feathers.
Caring for the Train
Peacocks take careful steps to prevent their train from becoming damaged. They roost high up in trees at night to protect the train from predators. During the day, they avoid unnecessary flight to prevent wear and tear. At the end of the breeding season, peacocks shed their train feathers to grow a new set for the following year. Shedding the train reduces some of the burdens during the non-mating months.
Pheasants
Male pheasants are another type of bird adorned with long, decorative plumage. While not as exceptionally long as a peacock train, pheasant tails can still exceed 2 feet in length. Like peacocks, pheasants use their tails to attract females during mating rituals. Dramatic displays of tail shaking, fanning, and drumming are part of their elaborate courtship. The vibrant, iridescent feathers showcase the male’s fitness. After breeding season, male pheasants will shed their long tail feathers like peacocks until the following year.
Differences Between Pheasant Species
There are over 50 species of pheasants that vary in their plumage. Some examples include:
- Golden pheasants have red bodies, blue necks, and golden striped tails.
- Lady Amherst’s pheasants sport a metallic blue head, red body, and very long and thin white tail feathers.
- Green peafowl (especially the Java green) are renowned for their train that can exceed 5 feet in length.
The different pheasant species inhabit regions across Asia, Europe, and North America. While each has unique coloring, most males grow elaborate feathers during breeding season for visual signaling.
Swallows
Unlike pheasants and peacocks, swallows keep their long tail feathers year round. Swallows rely on their tail shape and forked ends to provide aerial agility and speed. There are around 90 species of swallows identified by their short, triangular wings; slender bodies; and distinctly tapered tails. The tail allows for quick twists and turns to catch insects mid-flight. Though swallow tails may not have the grandiose of a peacock train, they have equally important utility.
Tail Adaptations for Flight
Specifically, a swallow’s forked tail adapts them for speedy, agile flight in several ways:
- The long length increases surface area to provide lift and stability.
- The forked tips reduce drag and turbulence to cut smoothly through the air.
- Tail movements help with braking and maneuverability in flight.
- Prevents the body from twisting or spinning out of control.
Without their specialized tails, swallows could not feed as efficiently on aerial insects nor migrate the vast distances across continents. The forked tail’s contributions to aerodynamics help compensate for the bird’s small body and wings.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are tiny birds with very high metabolism and superfast wing flapping. Like swallows, hummingbirds have adapted long tail feathers to achieve nimble flying skills. Though small, a hummingbird’s tail may measure over 6 cm, making up a significant portion of its overall body length. Fanned tails provide essential stabilization to counterbalance the directional forces from rapid wings.
Unique Structure of Hummingbird Tails
Hummingbird tails have specialized structures to maximize their aerial agility:
- 10 feathered tail retrices attached to small tail vertebrae.
- Rigid and lightweight carbon fibers provide structural support.
- Narrow tips reduce drag for forward propulsion.
- Fanned shape increases control in all directions.
During flight, hummingbirds can flair their tails open or squeeze them shut. Minor adjustments keep their tiny bodies centered as they hover and dart swiftly between flowers.
Birds of Paradise
Birds of paradise are named for their extravagant plumes used in mating rituals. Native to New Guinea, birds of paradise have evolved complex tail feather adornments for visual courtship displays. Males compete to attract female attention through bold coloring and energetic dances exhibiting their tails.
Unique Tail Types
Some examples of birds of paradise tails include:
- Twisted plumes curling into decorative spirals
- Long white tail feathers extending 2 feet beyond the body
- Fanned plumes with vivid eyespots
- Thick tails shaped like a shield
Many birds of paradise shed some of their plumage after mating. Yet they regrow the tail feathers in time for the following breeding season.
Regent Bowerbird
An especially remarkable example is the regent bowerbird. Males build elaborate stick structures called bowers to attract females. The male regent bowerbird decorates his bower with colorful fruits, flowers, shells, feathers, stones, glass, and plastic to impress visiting females. If she approves, the male will use his golden plumes during an elaborate song and dance. The 20-inch long, fanned tail feathers have bold yellow and black stripes to accentuate the display.
Long Tail Feathers Serve Multiple Purposes
As we’ve seen, different birds grow elongated tail feathers for attracting mates, aerial maneuvering, or both. The extra energy and resources required to form such plumage can burden the birds. Yet the benefits of visual courtship and flight stability outweigh the added costs.
Nature selects for the most successful adaptations over time. As environments and survival needs change, so may the types of specialized feathers used by future generations. Still, beautiful birds with long tails will continue to dazzle human observers through the ages.
Summary of Key Points
- Male peacocks and pheasants grow elaborate tail feather trains to attract females.
- Swallows have forked tails providing aerial agility and speed.
- Hummingbirds use fanned tails for stabilization during rapid hovering and acceleration.
- Birds of paradise rely on unique tail plumes for visual courtship displays.
- Lengthy tail feathers require extra energy but aid reproductive success and flight control.
Conclusion
Birds have evolved amazing diversity in tail feather structure and function. While long, flashy tails may seem cumbersome, they provide key advantages for courtship and flight. The broad spectrum of avian tail adaptations highlights nature’s endless ingenuity.