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Life

Male peacocks can make females' heads vibrate at a distance

By Chris Baraniuk

18 June 2018

Āé¶¹“«Ć½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

I feel you baby, shaking that tail

blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo

Many of usĀ feelĀ a buzz when approached by a charming and attractive stranger, but not in such a literal sense. When a peacock rattles his opulent train feathers at a female of the species, it makes a sound at a specific frequency – causing the crest on her head to vibrate energetically.

Peafowl () are famous for the spectacular train of feathers worn by males. The feathers are brightly coloured and have iridescent ā€œeyespotsā€. Males display them to attract females.

In 2016, physicist

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