Wednesday, April 23, 2003

Peafowled

Living in New England, I can't even imagine what it would be like to see a bunch of large blue birds running through my yard, but that's exactly what's happening in some parts of California. According to this report from U.C. Davis, Blue Peacocks (Pavo cristatus) have escaped from captivity and are breeding in the wild. The peafowl, native to India, are sometimes kept as "ornamental pets" for their colorful plumage, but the reality is that they can be aggressive, mean-tempered creatures. While some homeowners don't mind the presence of the birds, in places like Rancho Palos Verdes the peafowl population expanded to the point where the city educated residents on how to trap the birds.

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