Today I am going Christmas shopping for Son. Over the last year, Husband and I have organised the renovation of an old shed at the back of our property so that Son can have a place of his own, and it’s nearly finished. So my Christmas list includes the many things Son will need to make his shed into a home of sorts.
Well, guess what the first thing on my list is: a mirror. Do you know why? Because, just like King, Phoenix 2, and many of the other male birds, Son likes nothing better than to look at himself. It doesn’t have to be a mirror of course; it can be a window’s reflection, a pool of water, my sunglasses….
I have found the male bird vanity ‘condition’ absolutely fascinating. King, our biggest peacock, does his ‘thing’ constantly now outside the back veranda because he can see himself in the reflection of the windows. Phoenix 2, our golden pheasant, does the same thing. And there is even this little wild bird (I’m not even sure what it is) who pecks, gently, but passionately, at his reflection in Son’s motorbike’s rear vision mirror every morning, just outside my office. Sometimes he does this for well over an hour!
Their blatant self-love astounds me and seems to be a vanity that belongs solely to the male species – of birds I mean; although Son, despite being human, does seem to have a lot of peacockishness about him.
I guess I will have to find rather a large mirror to accomodate his enormous vanity!
On a more serious note, Husband told me years ago that men had to adore themselves to survive and this was part of being male. I only half understood that at the time, but I kind of ‘get it’ now – kind of!
jmgoyder 
The Bible mentions peacocks in 2 Chronicles:24 and Job 39:13.
M.L.
I’ll have to look it up – thanks!
I can’t decide which of the three is better looking!! (But, don’t tell Son that)!
I’m going to tell him – hehe!
my nephew is the same way. he loves his hair and refuses to cut his beyond shoulder length locks, however, he has no problem punching holes in his ears, lips and brows. go figure
Made me laugh!
I think I get it, now, too. Beautiful birds, Julie.
Yes – the females have much more humility!
He’s cute though – the Son – and it’s just as well he has unsubscribed Julie!
Yes!
What a fun post. It is funny how it is always the male bird that has the fancy feathers. The pictures of the birds followed by your son in that pose are great.
Thanks!
Great shot of the Peacock, Julie. I guess you get to see it’s amazing feathers every day.
I’m also envious of your image of The Golden Pheasant too. Love this bird’s plumage when I saw it at Melb. Zoo but alas I couldn’t seem to get a decent photo of it’s long tail feathers.
It kept scurrying away into the shade or hiding behind some ground foliage/grass.
King and Phoenix 2 are both show offs (ie. they’re always just outside the back veranda, flaunting themselves at their own reflections) but they are also quite aloof in a way so more difficult to approach than many of the other birds!
What a great Christmas present for your son!
Only trouble is I can’t find a big enough mirror for his ego!
Yes, funny how the males need the beauty to get by (in the bird kingdom, that is)
I think that male habit might be creeping into the human kingdom too!