The great beauty of the Peafowl, or more commonly known as the Peacock, has been admired for millennia. It is regarded as the symbol of vision, royalty, spirituality, and protection, especially in Eastern Culture. The birds hailing from India, Sri Lanka, and Burma found their way to the Palos Verdes Peninsula when sixteen of the birds were given as a gift from the daughter of William Wrigley, Jr. to Frank Vanderlip, Sr. from Mr. Wrigley’s aviary on Catalina Island.
Though these lovely creatures add a regal charm to the territory, their calls in the early morning, late evening, and throughout the day during the breeding season have become to some, a nuisance. The areas most affected by the flocks of peafowl are various neighborhoods in Rancho Palos Verdes known as Crestridge, Vista Grande, and Portuguese Bend. Other areas affected are Lunada Bay and Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes Estates.
Many residents are not bothered by the peafowl populations and enjoy their beauty and freedom to roam their estates, others, however, do not. In fact, there has been an increase in resident complaints made to the City about the negative impacts faced by those who live nearby. Not only are the noisy calls an issue, but there is also “excessive animal waste and damage to private property-yards, roofs, vehicles, etc.”, according to a report given by the City of Palos Verdes.
The City Council listened to residents and has since taken humane steps to trap and export the peafowl to help reduce the population and minimize complaints. Homes in these areas are highly desired and support wonderful schools, so the city needed to find a way to work with the residents who have to deal with the animals in a humane way, so they may live peacefully together. Some of the advice given to residents is simple steps to follow, so if one is considering buying a home in one of the affected areas, there are solutions.
Solutions suggested by the City Council are as follows:
- Peafowl do not like water, making it a great deterrent. Therefore, the use of sprinklers or a motion sensor activated water spray can be of help.
- Peafowl are afraid of dogs and will catch their scent especially in dogs that are kept outside. One thing to note is that Peafowl will not harm dogs, though they love their food, so removing pet food from outside feeders will serve one well.
- Peafowl will avoid certain repellents like mothballs and cat repellent. Sprinkling these safe yet repelling agents around one’s property, gardens, and planters will potentially keep the birds out and away from eating one’s harvest. A note of caution is these items are dangerous if swallowed by humans, so this may not be the best choice when small children are around.
- Peafowl roost in large overhanging trees, especially the Canary Island Pine. Therefore, trimming excess foliage can help deter the animals.
- Interestingly these gorgeous birds like ‘dirt baths,’ so they are attracted to compost and manure sacks. Properly storing and composting are important measures to take to not attract more of the birds onto one’s property.
The Peafowl population in these Palos Verdes neighborhoods shouldn’t deter a potential buyer from purchasing in these neighborhoods, though it is priceless information to be aware of the animals and how they may affect one’s lifestyle…and sleep.