Peafowl - peacocks and peahens

The male peacock and female peahen form the collective species of peafowl. These birds were introduced to Australia from India during the colonial period. They are bright and beautiful but disruptive with their loud and distinctive call. Without proper care, peafowl can be a nuisance for Moreton Bay residents.

Peafowl are not prohibited or restricted invasive animals under the Biosecurity Act 2014.

In some circumstances, Council will undertake a monitoring program of peafowl numbers.

How you can help manage peafowl

City of Moreton Bay is requesting that residents do not feed these birds. Avoid leaving pet food outside for them to access and cover compost bins as they feed on scraps and insects.

Providing food can attract them to residential areas where they can cause damage to properties and be a noise nuisance.

Find out more about the impacts of feeding wildlife.

Keeping peafowl on your property

You can have one peafowl per 20,000 square metres if your property is more than 20,001 square metres.

Find out more about how many you can have on your property. They must not cause a disturbance, smell or wander onto neighbouring properties.

If you want to keep peafowl, make sure to view the minimum standards for the keeping and control of animals.