peacock on my patio

[rockybird]

A peacock showed up on my patio Wed. night. She (or he?) was thirsty and hungry. She drank water out of a bowl and ate some rice, chicken and beans. She will walk right up to me. She has been here 3-4 days now and I cant get her to eat anything. I have given her: peanut butter (she'll nibble on it), rice (she ate the first day, but doesnt now), parrot seed, parakeet seed, oats and grouts, corn (she'll eat a couple), peas, carrots, cereal (she'll nibble on life), turkey gro (which the feed store said to feed her). She is constantly pacing in front of my glass sliders and tapping on the gass. This goes on for hours. I dont know what she wants. I am in the living room and she is pacing and pecking on the living room glass. She follows me from room to room through the glass. She makes the cutest little whimpers when I give her food. She will come right up to me when she sees me. I have not petted her as I heard they dont like to be petted and I get the feeling she would not like that. When she sees my caique, the feathers on her back stick STRAIGHT up and she tries to peck him through the glass. I dont know what to do for her. She sleeps snuggled in the dirt of the corner of the house. I wish she would eat more. I called a couple nurseries and they are not missing a peacock, and they wouldnt take her either. I posted on craigslist and no one is claiming her. The feedstore offered $30 for her, but after seeing how pitifully they treat their birds, I wont consider it. I dont mind keeping her, but I want to provide the right housing and food for her. I dont know if it is a young male or female.

 

[TypingParrot]

males have the long pretty tails, so that should give you something to go on. I don't know where you live, or what the weather is like there, nor do I know how peafowl do with cold weather, so hopefully someone here does (or I could do some research, I like to ) An outdoor aviary would probably suffice, but, like any other pet, some research should definitely be done. And I would love to (as I am sure everyone else too) see pictures of your friend

 

[Pigwigeon]

Males will start practicing opening their tails even at a young age. Since he opens his tail at your Caique, than I'd say it's a young male. He sounds friendly, you should wait two weeks, and if no one claims him by then, keep him. Wait for the two week mark, take him to a vet, get him checked out.

Good luck and congrats!

 

[rockybird]

I think it is a female as she doesnt have a long tail, but I read the males can take years to grow the tails. I live in Phoenix, so I think she is fine weather wise. I read that they can withstand very cold temperatures. I think I will post some ads on the sign posts around here. There are some huge homes with massive lawns nearby. I am guessing she is a pet that someone bought for their yard. I named her Ernestine. There are lots of coyotes in this neighborhood and also great horned owls (one was perched above my front door the other night). I'm putting in a new pool, and the backyard is pretty secure as it is blocked off by trucks and dirt, but once they are done, she will need a safe place to perch.

She nibbles on food, but for a bird her size, I would expect her to eat more. She did eat some tomatoes and lettuce (with dressing and sunflower seeds) today. I was just wondering if anyone knew what else she might like to eat?

 

[Renae]

Welcome To The Peacock Information Center
Peacock Information, Peacock Pictures, And Raising & Selling The Peacock

Some info, I don’t know if it will be of any help. I would love to see a photo of your friend too.

 

[65sunnyday]

Poor little guy/gal--she does sound like she is habituated to people, & may even have been allowed into a house. Can you try putting an add in the paper? Or maybe even ParrotAlert? Please keep us updated. Good luck. Everybirdie deserves a home--thanks for caring for this lost one

I don't think your yard sounds like it would keep a coyote out for long. Is there a tree or something high she can roost in to help keep her safe?

 

[rockybird]

These are pictures taken at night. Everything is so dirty because the exterior is being totally redone and her food is scattered everywhere. I bought a midcentury home that I gutted to the studs and I'm now focusing on the pool and redoing the back patio. I will get better pics tomorrow.

She is still tapping on the glass. She calms down if I go talk to her. I was thinking it might be because she sees her reflection, but I think it is because she really wants in.

She makes the cutest little noises when I feed her. It is adorable. Barely audible. I wonder if she was hand fed.

Thank you for the links. if I keep her, I will look at buying that video.

The top left video is where she sleeps.

 

[Addi Kohler]

A peacock.......

Uh.....

That would be one of the LAST things I would expect to see hanging outside my house.

While I share sympathy with both predator and prey, I would take this bird under my wing, figuratively speaking of course. Y'all got some serious predators down there between the coyotes, raptors, and the local cat/dog populations, and IMO, a bird like that doesn't stand much of a chance unprotected. Maybe if I had more experience with peacocks, my thoughts would be different, but in this particular case, I'd side with the prey....even though I'm usually for the predator.

Do what you think is best, and good luck.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Pea fowl are omnivorous and eat lots of insects and will eat meat if they can get it. It is one reason why people in India keep them in their yards and on their farms; they eat insect and rodent pests and make great burglar alarms: they are extremely territorial and will attack outsiders, especially the cocks. My unclew kept pea fowl and he had an area in the garage for them at night. He put about half an inch of sawdust down to absorb droppings and then broomed it up each morning. If you want to give her a treat, get her some mealworms or offer a few shreds of cooked chicken. My uncle kept the peafowl for his wife and she adored peacocks and it was her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary gift for her. One problem he had with the peafowl was they got a liking for milk and would bother him and the boys when they went into the barn to milk the herd. He had to pour a bowl of raw milk for them and leave it right outside the barn or they would fly into the barn through the hay door and patrol the aisles while he milked and bother the cows.

 

[Anne & Gang]

can you not call a wildlife sanctuary and see if they will take him in?

 

[rockybird]

You all are so helpful. This is a great forum. Laurel cat, thank you...I will try some chicken. Today, she ate some egg.

I just bought an acre of property on a mountainside lot. It has plenty of room for a peacock and she arrived at probably the best time. I am meeting a metal fence builder tomorrow to design the pool fence and I will ask if he can make a modern appearing steel fenced in habitat for her. Eventually the back yard will be a huge expanse of green grass, I would think perfect for a peacock.

.

The feathers on top of her head are filling in since she arrived. It's good to see.

LOL. My father, who doesnt understand why I have parrots, is smitten with the peacock. He offered to help pay for her habitat if I keep her. He once had a pet pot bellied pig that followed him to the office. He raised it and kept it for years, until she died of pneumonia. She was very spoiled and would only eat salad with ceasar dressing. I guess he likes down and out animals.

 

[expressmailtome]

She is very pretty! The area that you want to build for her sounds great!

Matt

 

[Doodle Bird]

How exciting! Keep the updates coming.

 

[kcbee]

Wow - this is exciting!! Several years ago someone in my neighborhood had a peacock and it would just hang out in their yard. Doesn't seem very safe with all the wildlife we have around here. If you keep him/her, that enclosure sounds great!!

Oh, and the tapping - he/she wants IN!! Maybe he/she is a lap/sofa kind of peacock

 

[65sunnyday]

What a neat father you have! Could he take her to keep her safe from all those predators until your fence & enclosure go up? If not, can you keep her in your garage at night to keep her safe? I'm feeling more than a little bit of affection for this bird; I think you are, too. Can you keep us updated?

 

[rockybird]

Thanks for the encouragement! The chicken worked! I went to a deli to get a salad and ordered a side of chicken. She ate most of it, plus I gave her the sunflower seeds off my salad. She flared up her feathers at my conure through the glass today. I wish I could get a picture of it. My normally fearless caique will walk up to her and peer at her through the glass, and then come running back to the safety of me.

She seems to get more active at dusk and she likes to eat late. Last night she ate some peanut butter and cereal around 10 PM.

I dont know how I am going to construct something for her. I think it just needs to be tall enough that she can perch high up out of a coyotes reach and with a cover so an owl cant get her. It will need to be near the windows as this is obviously her hangout. I dont know how to do it and not ruin the aesthetics or the view. I'm remodeling a house by a mid century architect and trying to restore it somewhat. I do think she is safe here. The yard is mostly fenced in, except for the area where the pool is being worked on, which is blocked in by a hill of dirt higher than the house and a big truck, as well as a mesh construction fence. Every now and then she squeezes through the fence and walks around the house exterior but she always comes back. I'm worried that she may walk away and then get eaten. I dont want to keep her locked up. I want her to be free to go if she wants. She is hanging out on the patio under a 20 foot overhang. I dont have a garage. My father lives in Alaska, so that wont work! Eventually I will get the yard done, and then I would build a nice coop for her, and maybe get a couple other peasant types.

 

[waterfaller1]

Cool.If I were you I would be doing some researching. I believe they can be quite a nuisance at night.

 

[Nikki]

She is gorgeous! I sometimes have to break for peacocks...there is a back road by a lake that I take to work sometimes and there are a few of them around.

 

[Doodle Bird]

My normally fearless caique will walk up to her and peer at her through the glass, and then come running back to the safety of me.

HAHA! I can picture that...

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

From the new picture, it looks like your peafowl is going to be a cock. Peahens do not have blue on their neck, only the blue cocks do. If you want to keep him safe at night without a fence, give him a perch or platform about six to ten feet off the ground. Also, if you make a habitat for him, he will go back into it every night for safety himself. My uncle's peacocks returned to his garage every night like clockwork. They are messy and sometimes noisy pets, however. And if he really is a cock, you will need to get him a hen or two to keep him from wandering looking for a mate.