A small population of beautiful but wild peafowl have been quietly plucked out of Bardon and relocated elsewhere after a complaint was lodged about their presence. However, some local bird lovers are unhappy about the move, saying the peafowl were not bothersome at all.
Jon Fihelly, a resident, believes that the removal was unnecessary since the birds’ do not number enough to even cause a disturbance or an outbreak. Bardon’s peafowl population has dwindled to just 10 within the last four decades compared to other suburbs with 30 or more of these animals. The birds are usually found near the Outlook Cres at the foothills of Mt Coot-tha.
The relocation was discovered by someone who saw the birds impounded at the Animal Welfare League Queensland and shared the photo in a local group online. Mr Fihelly wondered why the move took place despite no consultations with the public. He was more bothered when Council allegedly denied that the peafowls are at the shelter, according to reports.
Cr Kim Marx, the Civic Cabinet Chair for City Standards, said that the transfer was decided following a complaint about the presence of the peafowls in Bardon. She added that peafowls may cause a lot of noise or damage properties by roosting, thus the need to act on the complaint. Cr Marx also said that they consulted with bird experts about the relocation.
However, Mr Fihelly pointed out that the birds prefer to roost on trees and not houses or cars and that the noise only happens during the breeding season. He also checked public records of complaints but found none as of December 2022.
“My neighbours that don’t want them around have shooed them away in the past and hence never see them anymore so there is an easy solution without having the BCC remove them,” he said.
Published 30 March 2023
