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When you hear about the peacocks, the first thing that comes to your mind, I bet you imagine them roaming around the field with their vibrant color feathers spread out. Mostly, peafowls are known for their vibrant color wings. If I tell you that there exists a peacock breed with the creamy and chocolate brown color combination. Would you believe it?
When I first heard of the Cameo Peacock, I had a hard time believing too that a breed with such color combinations exists. Mostly, Peacocks are green and blue, but, once I happened to know about the Cameo Peafowl, I looked up online for more information.
As I was curious about the bird, I searched for it and gathered all the information to share with you all. I even found a farm where Cameo Peacock was being raised, I went to see this unique creature with my own eyes. What I discovered was that though it differs in color, the other traits were quite similar to the peacocks we commonly see.
Cameo Peacock Characteristics
Cameo Peacock is a color mutation or, in simple terms, it is a dominant sex-linked color. Peacocks of this color mutation are creamy brown in combination with darker chocolate brown. White is considered the rarest color for peacocks, however, this light and dark brown color combination is also rare.
Just like other peacocks, Cameo Peacocks are beautiful with unique color combinations and a polka dot pattern. Most Peacock admirers keep Cameo Peafowl with other vibrant colored peacock breeds on the farm and it makes a pleasing sight.
Not many people know about these as the other bright-colored breeds have occupied the horizon for so long. However, these peafowls are getting their due recognition gradually as most breeders are interested in this color mutation.
Origin
How was Cameo Peacock originated? When did this color mutation appear on the scene? I bet you have many questions like this, for starters, this is not a recent color mutation it has been around for over 50 years.
It was called Silver Dun, back in the day. It was the second color mutation that was discovered after the white mutation. According to research, It has been around for a long time and first originated in the United States. Cameos were originated in Maine, USA, during the 1960s.
One of the first breeders of this mutation was Oscar Mulloy, Sherman Cram, Dennis Cook, and Norman Waycott. They perfected, developed, and improved the mutation with different breeding techniques.
As it is mentioned earlier, it is a sex-linked mutation, well, I am sure most of you do not know what it is judging by the confused looks on your face, it means that there are more Cameo Peahen than the Cameo Peacock.
This is just not about the USA, Cameo Peahen outnumbers the Cameo Peacock in the United Kingdom as well. Soon after taking over the United States, this color mutation was introduced in Great Britain as well.
An aspiring owner can buy different patterns of Cameo Peacock in the United States such as Cameo Spalding, Cameo Pied, Cameo White-eyed, and Cameo Black Shouldered.
Type Of Mutation in Cameo Peacock
Cameo is a color mutation or otherwise sex-linked mutation which can be combined with Spalding to produce Cameo Spaldings.
Coloration Of Cameo Peacock
As the season begins, Cameo Peacock or males are dark or chocolate brown in color. As the time comes when they begin to molt, the sun has played its part and bleached them to a much lighter “coffee milk color.”
The entire body turns to a lighter color whereas the neck stays the same, chocolate brown in color. The train exhibits brown and tan barring and is darker than the wings. The ocelli on the train are colored with different shades of brown.
Coloration Of Cameo Peahen
Males are darker in color than females and it stays true for every peacock breed. Females or peahens of this mutation are lighter and creamy brown except for the head and neck, which have darker rust.
The breast and the back of the bird are also lighter along with the wings and train. In simple words, Cameo Peahens are lighter in color with no defined pattern on the feathers.
Coloration Of Cameo Peachicks
Cameo Peachicks has a slightly different color, a bit similar to that of Indie Blue. Just like Cameo Peahens, Cameo Peachicks have a lighter color and are usually creamy brown. This cameo peacock price depends on the color.
Can Cameo Peafowl Breed True?
When a Cameo Peafowl is crossed with Cameo Peacock, they will produce 100% Cameo chicks. It is a sex-linked mutation meaning when a Cameo is cross-bred with another type of hen, the result would be all the female offspring will be a cameo and the male’s offspring would split to be a cameo and the hen’s color.
Cameo Peafowl when bred to another type of male is unable to produce Cameo offspring the only offspring split to cameo. Because of this breeding phenomenon, the number of Cameo Peacock is lower in the USA and UK.
FAQs
What is the rarest Peacock?
You must be wondering that Cameo Peacock’s name would come up right now, but it is not the rarest peacock. There are many other rare peacock varieties with different color variations, Bornean peacock-pheasant, for one.
What are the different colors of Peacock?
Many color variations exist among different Peacock breeds and mutations, each more unique than the other. Till now, 15 color varieties have been discovered like Blue, Green, White, Purple, Cameo, Charcoal, Opal, Bronze, Peach, Midnight, Jade, Taupe, Sonja’s Violeta, Hazel, and Indigo. Read a guide on the names of peacocks based on types.
Why Is Peacock White?
White Peacocks are not albinos it is just a genetic mutation native to the Indian subcontinent. This mutation is known as Leucism where the pigments fail to deposit in the plumage which leads to the white appearance.
Putting it all together, this is arguably a rare color mutation with peacocks lesser in number than the peahens. Originated in the United States, Cameos are now found in different countries in the world.
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