DEAR JOAN: The neighborhood we live in has peacocks, and they come into the yard, eat flowers and poop on the patio.
They are not deterred by fences as they fly —awkwardly. Yesterday there were four in the yard and one was parading around her three new chicks, so (there will be) more adults to come.
These birds are fun to watch, but otherwise destructive. Is there anything that I can spray or spread around to discourage the peacocks from coming in?
Tom Tucker, Danville
DEAR TOM: Peacocks are decidedly more attractive than, say, turkeys, your average bird nuisance, but it doesn’t make them any more welcome where they aren’t wanted.
There are a number of things you can try, keeping in mind that some might work well, some might work for a while and some might fail miserably, but they’re all worth a try. You also should be warned that the male birds can be aggressive if riled, so use caution when confronting them.
Peacocks are fond of pet food and bird seed, so the obvious thing is to make sure you don’t have either of those within easy reach. Feed your pets indoors or remove the food as soon as your pet finishes eating. Prevent bird seed from spilling onto the ground by installing seed trays under your feeders, or simply stop feeding the birds.
If you have a compost pile, cover it in bird netting, wire fencing or a tarpaulin to prevent the birds from scratching up any tasty nuggets. This will be a pain as you try to manage the pile, so you need to weigh your dislike for peacocks against your like for rich humus.
There is some evidence that peacocks are partial to plants with white blooms. You might need to do some landscaping to make your yard less attractive to them, but if you do, instead of buying seedlings in 4-inch pots, buy more mature plants. Peacocks also have a fondness for young, tender growth.
The most effective method might be taking a more active approach by scaring them off with noise or water. An air horn or a symphony played on a metal pot should get the message across that they aren’t wanted here. So will a blast of water. If you don’t have time to sit in your yard all day with the hose, consider a motion-activated sprinkler that will soak any peacock that wanders into your yard, and prevent you from personally having to confront an angry bird.
The sound and the water might not work after the peacocks realize that there’s no real danger in them, but if you’re lucky, those methods will irritate or frighten the birds enough that they’ll stay away.
If you have birds roosting in your trees at night, try hanging reflective materials such as scare tape to discourage the practice.
DEAR JOAN: I saw something today for the very first time — a female hooded oriole with her very visible greenish-yellow coloring and distinctive chirping was latched onto the back of a big crow in mid-flight.
The crow was frantically trying to shake off the pecking oriole. This lasted for about 100 feet. Nice to see a songbird fighting back against these nasty, mean and pervasive crows.
Dana, Milpitas
DEAR DANA: Guess you can only push an oriole so far. But just so you know, those nasty, mean and pervasive crows are considered songbirds, too.
