Peacocks Ruffling Some Feathers

While seagulls are a common sight for the Long Beach community, a non-native vibrant species has made its way to the city in recent years.

Peafowl sightings have been reported to the Long Beach Animal Care Services for at least half a decade, according to Bureau Manager Staycee Dains. While they have been recognized as a beautiful species, cities in the remaining portions of Los Angeles County have taken issue.

On June 8, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to draft an ordinance that would ban peafowl feeding in public areas, according to the meeting agenda. The ordinance affects unincorporated areas that are home to peafowl. Municipalities like Arcadia and Pasadena have previously approved their own ordinances to prohibit feeding of the birds, according to Tuesday’s meeting agenda.

While these areas have taken action to manage the population, Long Beach has not issued any regulations for its residents to control the peafowl population, according to Dains. The numbers have not reached the triple digit proportions of Rancho Palos Verdes, according to the city’s last reported peafowl census.

Long Beach locals have regularly come across the birds, typically peacocks, in front of their homes or on walks. Some residents said that the peacocks are recognized by many due to their wide blue and green tail feathers. One peacock has been spotted so often that it has been named “Pete” by the community. Pete the peacock’s exploration of the neighborhoods has been documented by locals, including Belmont Heights resident Kim Shore.

On a routine walk with her dog, Shore saw Pete the peacock in her neighbor’s front yard.

“I was actually in awe and really grateful that I had that moment,” Shore said. While she has heard some complaints around the city about their noise levels, she said her experience was positive.

Among the cities citing foul play, some relocation processes have been implemented to remove the birds from residents’ property. In Long Beach, the Animal Care Services does not currently provide any services pertaining to healthy peafowl. Dains’s bureau has received one call regarding the peafowl so far this year, totaling six peafowl-related reports since 2017.

Councilman Daryl Supernaw said in an email that his district has not reported any peafowl sightings in the last two years. While the peacocks were present, no complaints were filed with his office.

Some residents have noticed the large, colorful pheasant birds sauntering through their neighborhoods and even relaxing in the shade of their backyards. After shopping one afternoon, Long Beach resident Brian Kenna returned home to find a peacock resting against the backdoor.

In 2019, Kenna created the Long Beach Peacock Association Facebook group along with the Long Beach and Signal Hill Peafowl Group on the Facebook and Nextdoor apps to connect others with an interest in the local peafowl. Unlike nearby populations, the largest number of peafowl that Kenna and his social platform groups have reportedly spotted were five birds including three peacocks and two peahens.

“Residents seemed to enjoy their presence,” Supernaw said.

Although, some residents, including Belmont Shore resident Nicole Seip, have said that the squawking noises from the peafowl keep them awake throughout the night.

Despite the issues with noise, Kenna said that many locals seem to love spotting the exotic birds. Whether a feeding ordinance will be proposed in the future, Kenna said he believes that the Long Beach residents should have a say in decision of how to manage the peafowl population.

“Peafowl, especially peacocks, are quite ornate and spectacular birds to behold and have often been wild residents in the state of California,” Dains said. Yet, she advises against attempting to own the birds as captivity can be rough for the species due to their natural habitat of acreage where they are free to roam.