the reality of peacocks

well, i'm sure that any student of history is used to conflicting stories, but this is my first real foray, so i'm surprised, interested, and maybe even amused. this print from a manga is by hishikawa moronobu. it was done in 1683. this suggests to me that in fact peacocks did indeed exist in japan. now there could be a million reasons why i'm wrong: he made these up and just coincidentally re-created a real bird; they were there but died out by the time iida made that kimono; and ad absurdum. more likely, i guess, the person who reported that fact (someone from the kyoto costume institute?) was misinformed. there must be a story but we just may never get it. (oh--i just noticed--this must be from the same series.)