Male peafowl, called peacocks, are known for their screeching calls and plumage, including a long train of feathers that\u2019s displayed during courtship rituals. The duller-colored females are known as peahens.<\/p>\n
![\"Peacocks](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAC_SN_1025_Pollock_00134.JPG\" "\\"SAC_SN_1025_Pollock_00134.JPG\\"")
Peacocks look for food on Camp Pollock Road outside Camp Pollock in Sacramento in 2021. Sara Nevis Sacramento Bee file How did peacocks get here?<\/p>\n
Peacocks may have been introduced<\/a> to California by rancher Elias J. \u201cLucky\u201d Baldwin, who purchased 8,000 acres in Southern California in 1875, Audubon Magazine said.<\/p>\n Along with sheep, hogs, horses and cattle, Baldwin kept peafowl that he may have imported from India on his ranch, the publication said.<\/p>\n The birds helped keep snakes at bay and warned of encroaching bobcats. After Baldwin\u2019s death, part of his ranch (and peafowl) became the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia.<\/p>\n In Sacramento, at least some feral peacocks<\/a> may originate from Camp Pollock, an 11-acre park and camping area in the Lower American River Parkway, Amy Rodrigues, communications and marketing director for the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, told The Sacramento Bee in 2024. A group also frequents American Discovery Park.<\/p>\n The conservancy has been managing Camp Pollock since 2013, Rodrigues said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe inherited some peacocks and there\u2019s still a small flock often seen on site,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s unclear how the birds actually got to Camp Pollock \u2014 or why they\u2019ve stuck around.<\/p>\n Despite their beauty, peacocks are an \u201cinvasive animal species\u201d that can damage the environment, according to Francine Bradley, a UC Cooperative Extension poultry specialist.<\/p>\n \u201cThey hurt native birds by eating their food<\/a> and decimating the plants where the natives would live,\u201d Bradley told UC Davis in 2003. \u201cThey ruin plants put on hillsides to prevent erosion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn neighborhoods, they scratch the paint on cars, damage shingles and tiles on roofs and cover lawns with fecal matter,\u201d Bradley said.<\/p>\n Peafowl can also disturb landscaping and startle people with their piercing screams.<\/p>\n Several California cities have undertaken efforts to reduce or eliminate flocks of feral peacocks.<\/p>\n If you run into a peacock or peahen in a park or find one frolicking in your backyard, it\u2019s best to keep your distance.<\/p>\n Male peacocks have sharp talons<\/a> and can be \u201cextremely aggressive,\u201d the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden said on its website.<\/p>\n That\u2019s especially true during mating season, which lasts from early spring to early summer.<\/p>\n \u201cPeafowl are … disturbed by loud noises and human behavior,\u201d the arboretum said on its website. \u201cIt is best not to startle them as they can move quickly and be aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are some tips on what to do if you encounter a peacock, according to the arboretum\u2019s website:<\/p>\n Stay 10 feet away from peafowl.Don\u2019t eat or have food around peafowl.Do not disturb the birds. Keep quiet and move slowly.Don\u2019t leave children alone with the birds.How can I keep peacocks out of my yard?<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_SAC_DafoddilHill_HA__2_1_IQFH017N_L458119004.JPG\" "\\"IMG_SAC_DafoddilHill_HA__2_1_IQFH017N_L458119004.JPG\\"")
A peacock makes his way through daffodils in Daffodil Hill in 2019. HECTOR AMEZCUA Sacramento Bee file Why are feral peacocks a problem?<\/p>\n A peacock struts across the street at the Auburn Creek Apartment complex in Lincoln in 2003. REN\u00c9E C. BYER Sacramento Bee file <\/p>\n
Peacocks look for food on Camp Pollock Road outside Camp Pollock in Sacramento in 2021. Sara Nevis Sacramento Bee file What should I do if I see a feral peacock?<\/p>\n