15 April 2013

Feral peacocks to be purged from Narrabundah

| johnboy
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peacock

TAMS have the sad news that they’re taking action against the burgeoning peacock population in the Inner South:

To help address a growing number of complaints from residents, as well as protect surrounding parkland, a program will be undertaken to relocate up to 20 peacocks that are located in Narrabundah, Territory and Municipal Services announced today.

There is an estimated 30 feral peacocks that roost in Narrabundah and arrangements have been made with Taronga Zoo to take up to 20 of them. It is thought the peacocks originated from a wildlife park in Symonston which closed in the 1980s.

“In recent times there has been a growing number of complaints from the residents of St Aidan’s Court, as well as in the broader Narrabundah area, about the problems the peacocks are causing.

These problems include noise and droppings as well as damage to buildings, gardens and parkland,” said Fleur Flanery, Director, City Services.

“The peacocks have also been reported as posing potential traffic hazards. Peacocks are a feral introduced species so we do need to look at how we manage their growing population.

One wonders what other remnants of the Ghost Zoo are still running free?

[Photo by Madison Berndt CC BY 2.0]

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Save the peacocks!

What about the peahens?

poetix said :

I would have thought having to flaunt himself like that meant that the females did the choosing, based on the size and beauty of the tail. They sit around like critics.

Yep, it is indeed the female who does the choosing in peacocks – peahens select a mate from a congregation of displaying males based on the number of “eye-spots” in his train (preferring a larger number).

dungfungus said :

TAMS can cull native kangaroos when they have to so why not some feral peacocks?

I guess the thing here is that these birds seem to be at least semi-tame and their relatively small number makes them a suitable candidate for trapping and relocation, which isn’t possible with kangaroos.

poetix said :

bundah said :

poetix said :

Every boy is Sabine in this species. No-one ever mentions the peahens!

The peacock is quite the stud for he has up to six peahens in his harem so could it be that they’re subservient? 🙂

I would have thought having to flaunt himself like that meant that the females did the choosing, based on the size and beauty of the tail. They sit around like critics.

Oh yes no question the male puts it out there but it’s the peahens who do the choosing.Sounds rather familiar…

bundah said :

poetix said :

Every boy is Sabine in this species. No-one ever mentions the peahens!

The peacock is quite the stud for he has up to six peahens in his harem so could it be that they’re subservient? 🙂

I would have thought having to flaunt himself like that meant that the females did the choosing, based on the size and beauty of the tail. They sit around like critics.

HiddenDragon10:09 pm 15 Apr 13

What a sadly missed opportunity – on the Subcontinent, tigers are known to hunt peacocks, so the introduction of one or two of those splendid beasties would not only provide wonderful Youtube and Instagram opportunities for the good folk of Narrabundah, as nature took its course, it should also deal with the elusive tyre slasher. When will these bumbling local officials ever learn…….?

poetix said :

Every boy is Sabine in this species. No-one ever mentions the peahens!

The peacock is quite the stud for he has up to six peahens in his harem so could it be that they’re subservient? 🙂

Can you eat them. I vote for plucking one and cooking it like a roast goose.

Gungahlin Al9:47 pm 15 Apr 13

I’d be happy to see them up my way. I used to breed peacocks and a range of other pheasants and parrots. They’re lovely birds. And while droppings might be a minor annoyance, I doubt they’d be supplanting much in the way of native species, given they are only living in built-up areas and are probably being fed by residents or they wouldn’t go even close to getting enough to eat.

Did you know the peacock down in the valley was the alarm that always warned the Kelly Gang when the troopers were coming?

Every boy is Sabine in this species. No-one ever mentions the peahens!

Why not move them up to Parliament House?

They’d look great wandering around the grounds there.

dungfungus said :

Seriously, why not relocate them to the arboretum?
Anyone who has visited The Gorge in Launceston would recall the free roaming peacocks in the mature gardens there. Kids are usually facsinated by them. They wouldn’t look out of place with all the exotic trees there.

This seems like a really good idea. Perhaps they could be desexed? Failing that, I expect there’s plenty of properties and places around Canberra and beyond who would take them. They’re not cheap to buy.

beardedclam said :

Maybe eventualy we could have 100 cocks in 100 forests……..

Sounds like a hippie Fifty Shades of Grey.

(Which, of course, I have not read.)

I wonder if this program will be a cock up!

Maybe eventualy we could have 100 cocks in 100 forests……..

sarahblaec said :

The TAMS media release says ““It is not possible to relocate them in the Canberra region as this may simply transfer the problem more broadly across the ACT” although they may not have considered establishing the group as a new captive population – I guess it can’t hurt to ask.

On the plus side though, while they’ve not indicated what they intend to do with the remaining 10-or-so birds, the 20 they’re trapping are heading off to a new home at Taronga Zoo which is a really good outcome.

TAMS can cull native kangaroos when they have to so why not some feral peacocks?
Aren’t they undertaking a rabbit control program currently? Instead of “transferring the problem across the ACT” it would localise them if they were re-located to the arboretum and the tourists could feed them (for a fee) so why would they want to go anywhere else? The arboretum is already home to quite a few feral hares and foxes; the peacocks will add diversity.

The TAMS media release says ““It is not possible to relocate them in the Canberra region as this may simply transfer the problem more broadly across the ACT” although they may not have considered establishing the group as a new captive population – I guess it can’t hurt to ask.

On the plus side though, while they’ve not indicated what they intend to do with the remaining 10-or-so birds, the 20 they’re trapping are heading off to a new home at Taronga Zoo which is a really good outcome.

johnboy said :

You can be sure TAMS will be reading. But an email to Shane Rattenbury should do it!

I was going to suggest an email to John Mackay but…………………….

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I have never even heard of this. Amazing. There are photos of me as a young child in the 80s at the old zoo next to these birds or offspring(not sure how they age) but I remember absolutely loving the peacocks as a child.

And what a great idea about moving them to the arbotirium. Is there any way to suggest this to tams?

You could try and phone the person who made the press release (go to link on RA article).
Also, do a Google images of “peacocks at Cataract Gorge”.

You can be sure TAMS will be reading. But an email to Shane Rattenbury should do it!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd3:39 pm 15 Apr 13

I have never even heard of this. Amazing. There are photos of me as a young child in the 80s at the old zoo next to these birds or offspring(not sure how they age) but I remember absolutely loving the peacocks as a child.

And what a great idea about moving them to the arbotirium. Is there any way to suggest this to tams?

well there ya go…thanks #4 and #5….they never come to barton!

Seriously, why not relocate them to the arboretum?
Anyone who has visited The Gorge in Launceston would recall the free roaming peacocks in the mature gardens there. Kids are usually facsinated by them. They wouldn’t look out of place with all the exotic trees there.

While it’s ‘sad’ that these animals are being appropriately controlled (as it’s not the animals’ fault they have been introduced into an ecosystem-modified or otherwise-that is unsuitable), what would be far ‘sadder’ is if they continued to grow in unsustainable populations and consequently starved, got involved in traffic incidents, got menaced by urban dogs, and some of the other horrid plights that would likely result from lack of control and burgeoning numbers. TAMS is taking a sensible approach. What would you expect them to do? Traumatise the things by translocating them?

Blen_Carmichael said :

Narrabundah? I thought Jon Stanhope was on Christmas Island.

When i think of Stanhope there’s not a pea to be seen anywhere unless of course one is referring to the grey matter.

Blen_Carmichael2:55 pm 15 Apr 13

Narrabundah? I thought Jon Stanhope was on Christmas Island.

zorro29 said :

we have wild peacocks in the inner south? i have never seen one…

Yep, peacocks in the inner south, and a lengthy list of other feral species Australia-wide. There are a lot of unexpectedly exotic animals that have established populations in Australia too, as escapees from zoos/circuses etc (like the peacocks), through accidental transfer in cargo (like the Pacific house gecko), or the escape/release of animals originally kept as pets (eg ferrets, red-eared slider turtles). It’s pretty scary.

zorro29 said :

we have wild peacocks in the inner south? i have never seen one…

They tend to congregate at the top of Carnegie/Brockman/Wylie.

we have wild peacocks in the inner south? i have never seen one…

I support the efforts to remove these birds from Narrabundah (as beautiful as they are, they don’t belong there), but if I read the TAMS announcement correctly, they estimate that there are around 30 birds, but they’re only going to relocate “up to” 20 to Taronga Zoo. What happens to the remainder? Are they just hoping that the population will be driven below sustainable levels or are there likely to be further efforts to trap the rest of the birds in the near future?

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