Help! Wild? Abandoned? Peacock living in an office park need advice!

[memphisdeena]

Hello, I've searched the internets forever and I feel like yall might could help. I went to work in a business park and there is a peacock that lives in there. I just want to know how to help him survive the extreme cold. It will be in the twenties and possible single digits in Memphis next week. Apparently he has been there several years long before I came to work there but of course I'm freaking out thinking he needs my help. The office park has a long narrow greenspace with lots of trees and I just can't tell where he gets shelter other than some evergreen bushes that sit next to a brick dumpster area. He's always there it seems. I feed him cat food and bird seed and other people give him stuff too. Sadly, cheetos and french fries. Another person keeps a bowl of water out in front of their office door. The offices have a narrow canopy where he could get some shelter but it's not sufficient to me. The greenspace is sandwiched between the office park property and the interstate, which has large concrete drainage pipes so I think he gets in there for shelter when it isn't raining. I've thought about sneaking a homemade shelter of some kind behind the dumpster where he is a lot, but the office park is private property and will always be at risk of being taken/destroyed. I don't know, the poor thing seems lonely and I just want to help him but maybe I'm projecting my own feelings onto him. I wish he could be rescued and go live on a farm with other peacocks, but maybe moving him would do him harm.
What would you do?

 

[redhen]

Can you ask the people that work there if you could put a small house there for him? Maybe find the owner of the place and ask them?
You can find cheap or free dog houses on CL all the time...
For now..i'd just keep giving the poor thing water and food..
Maybe you can bring him some warm food?? Like plain cooked oatmeal?
Not sure whats safe for them to eat though..

Good luck!

 

[Pavo Royale]

Sounds like the guy has it good to me. The cold is not a problem for most peafowl, and I am sure he has figured out how to get out of the wind. The only thing in life he is missing is a mate and if someone brought him one then there would eventually be progeny everywhere which could become a nuisance much like they have in some Florida neighborhoods. Most of us feed our birds cat food as treats as it really has more protien than required on a regular basis. Peas are much like chickens that can scratch out thier own sustenence from their surroundings, although sometimes with more difficulty in the winter. It sounds like you enjoy feeding him and if so then you should continue with the bird seed (I think it is ok) and maybe cat food once a week. Peas are not always welcome in public areas and I am glad to see that he is so well received. Enjoy him and and try not to worry about him. He is fine.

 

[Glenmar]

Mine like grapes, whole corn, and sunflower seeds.

 

[memphisdeena]

Thanks yall, the potential problem I fear with going to the owner of the complex is that they are a huge company with properties all over town and I really don't want to tip off a bunch of people that might want to remove him or do him harm. I'd rather he be our little secret. I just really wanted to know from you guys how self sufficient they are in the cold and is he really okay being out there all the time. I also would love for him to be with his own kind, he just seems lonely. Other people in the complex say he'll spread his tailfeathers for songbirds and squirrels.
Yall have made me feel better though, thanks and I'll check back for any more comments, thank you!

 

[Frosty]

I wouldn't worry about the cold, mine have seen -34F. If he has been there for a while, he probably knows where to find shelter. Even if you did find a way to make him something, he probably wouldn't use it except maybe to perch on top of.

If you see folks giving him Cheetos and French Fries, try to gently educate them and explain that it isn't nutritious. Maybe have a secret stash of foods that are healthier for him? If you could have a hidden tub of something like scratch grains mixed with some gamebird feed? Peafowl really don't eat that much so it would last a long time.

If he has been there for years, I wouldn't worry about him being lonely. As others have said, a girlfriend could cause a whole different problem. I think if he wasn't happy, he wouldn't still be there.

And whenever possible, take the time to relax and enjoy having him there! It's really hard to not smile when such a gorgeous creature is there in front of you (unless of course 'in front of you' means that it's standing on the roof of your vehicle and pooping down your windshield...)

 

[MinxFox]

Yep peafowl can roam long distances, if he really wanted a girlfriend, he would take off to find one. It does sound like he enjoys it there and knowing my peafowl I would say if you brought him a shelter, when he has tons of trees to choose from to roost in around him or buildings to roost on, chances are he won't pick your shelter. We made a new shelter for my peafowl to roost in but they would rather not be under anything and roost outside in the elements...I think they roost outside in the rain. Don't let that beauty and that fragile look fool you, these birds are tough! As for him displaying to birds and squirrels peacocks will display to anything around them no mater if they have no peahens or a lot of peahens. I have watched one of my peacocks, who had a peahen nearby, start displaying when he saw a big bug flying around him then one of my peahens likes to display to squirrles to scare them off of her food.

Try feeding the peacock unshelled and unsalted penuts. They LOVE penuts a lot, and I have used penuts to train mine to eat out of my hand so if you want to eventually get him close to you and eat out of your hand you can do that, some of the birds are freaked out by my thumb at first when I hold out my hand so I try to tuck it to the side, and don't look him in the eye or the face, look away the first few times when you are trying to feed him out of your hand because it helps them relize you are not a threat and if they are at all hesitant not looking at them helps them feel more safe to eat out of your hand. Eventually you can look at him of course once he gets used to you...This is only if you want to hand feed him you don't have to but you might enjoy it because you get a really great close up view and get to see the wonderful detail of those feathers!

 

[memphisdeena]

Thanks for all the advice yall! Now I won't worry myself so much. You're right, I guess because he is so pretty I think he is fragile. But he has been there before me and surely has figured everything out. It's just my 'every animal needs my help' syndrome has kicked in with a bird I know nothing about.
I didn't know that about looking him in the eye! I've been within about 10 feet of him when I put his treats out. He acts a little nervous but a healthy fear of people is a good thing too I guess. Surely everyone around there has been good to him I hope.
We got our snow event yesterday and before I left work I dropped him off lots of seed/corn and peanuts. Our streets are frozen and Memphis can't handle it (ha) so I knew I wouldn't be at work today.
I guess once the weather gets better I shouldn't worry about feeding him so much, I just wanted to help him when it's frozen out. I'm sure he appreciates my treats but I shouldn't start some kind of dependency.
I've enjoyed looking at your photos! These are gorgeous birds and I'll come back to these threads to learn more about him!

 

[kuntrygirl]

posted in wrong area. sorry.

 

[millebantam]

Peacocks???? Gettin' gubmint checks??? Say it ain't so!!!!!!!