Music-Loving Peacocks of Budapest

In the Annual Report for 1933 of the Zoological Gardens of Budapest a peacock is mentioned which showed a marked preference for the evening concerts, and habitually took up its position in the immediate vicinity of the orchestra. After some time it began to contribute loud screeches to the concerts, with the result that it became necessary to remove the musical peacock.
-Ciba Symposia, Feb 1942, p.1150.

The Budapest Zoo is still hosting evening concerts, almost eighty years later, and according to the Budapest Times, the zoo's peacock still enjoys the music:

The Bolyki Brothers acapella group performed on the first of seven musical evenings being held by the zoo every Wednesday until 17 August. The ensemble is the best-known acapella outfit in Hungary and are not only good musicians but charming, original and highly entertaining. It was a perfect choice as the singers tolerated the competition from the choir of frogs in the lake with good humour. Most of the waterbirds were already sleeping except for a few night owls such as the ducks, some herons and storks. Not to be outdone by the frogs, the birds also chimed in and one duck desperately tried to get into showbiz by continually manoeuvring overhead. A peacock atop a thatched hut was a quiet and dignified listener and no question a groupie. Later I heard from the zoo staff that some birds are well known music lovers and have participated in the concerts for years.


(image source)
     Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 02, 2012
     Category: Animals | Music





Comments
How charming, music has long been know to 'soothe the savage beast'.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 07/02/12 at 09:09 PM
Our parrots enjoy music, and a couple of them have a favorite song, so every few evenings, we have a youtube fest.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 07/03/12 at 08:25 AM
>>every few evenings, we have a youtube fest

You should make a video of that and post it on youtube!
Posted by Alex on 07/03/12 at 11:06 AM
Some opera can only be improved by a peacock's inclusion. Really!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 07/04/12 at 12:05 AM
Did you know that peacocks can see ultraviolet light? This means that the designs on their tail feathers look different to them than they do to us (as they include normally invisible-to-us pigments).
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 07/05/12 at 07:57 AM
Birds make music, of course they would love it.
Their predators, cats, often are music fans. A cat radio channel was online in the past and may still be operating.
Posted by Angie unduplicated on 07/05/12 at 01:35 PM
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