Peacocks are making life miserable for the residents of a neighborhood in Orlando, Florida.
Residents at the Villas at Costa del Sol are angry about a bunch of peacocks who they say are damaging property and creating safety concerns by defecating all over the neighborhood and chasing local children.
The frustrated Floridians said the problem began years ago when a resident introduced a pair of peacocks into the community. The birds reproduced, adding more and more peacocks to the area over the years.
Now the birds are numerous, and are reportedly causing issues.
“There’s feces everywhere and the kids play in the ground, you know that has so much bacteria, so that’s one of the things we’re worried about. They go after the kids, like if the kids were with their family and they’re playing, they just run after them,” Maria Calderon, the volunteer HOA president at the Villas, told News 6 Orlando.
The birds aren’t just scaring children and leaving droppings; they’re also reportedly scratching up residents’ vehicles and damaging their homes.
According to Calderon, the birds see their reflections in the car panels and try to fight their reflections, leaving scratches and beak marks. One resident reportedly had to spend thousands to repair their car, and later switched to a lighter-colored vehicle that was less reflective to avoid bird attacks.
“They scratch your car because they think they’re fighting,” the resident, who chose not to provide their name, told the broadcaster. “All I hear is THUD THUD THUD cause they’re pecking it with their beak, and they go to the other side of the car cause they think they’ll get to that other bird. And then they’re not just pecking at it, they’re jumping up and they’re scratching it.”
Another resident, named Victor, told the outlet that birds have torn at his screen door and have flown onto his roof, forcing him to replace two tiles already.
Unfortunately for the residents, if they want the birds gone, they’ll have to foot the bill. The city of Orlando, Orange County, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have all said that removing the birds is the responsibility of the residents.
That’s easier said than done; Calderon said she’s tried numerous public and private groups asking for help, but hasn’t found anyone willing to take on the task. She said few organizations she’s spoken with have the capacity to house the large number of peacocks loose in the area.
