Screaming Peacocks!

[Bayleaf]

There's a title you don't see everyday!

Nearby neighbours (eccentric Dutch couple with a huge menagerie of animals dotted around their mini Chateau land) - about 1/2 km away, must have recently acquired some peacocks, as we are now hearing them every night. Apparently the breeding season can last from February to August, so I'm assuming this is why they're calling at night, and not that they're stressed or seeing danger. It's a bizarre sound - and we only know of it as friends had peacocks in Devon, but it was a rare sound.

These neighbours used to have lots of dogs that barked excessively (which I did complain about once, because the dogs sounded distressed and the neighbours are away a lot), but they are now silent (or gone), and the noise is replaced by the peacocks - but only at night. Not many people know the sound of a peacock, so I've been wondering what the other neighbours think it is! Our son certainly had no clue until we told him.

It's not the worst sound, but it's been every night - like an alarm that keeps waking you up. Last night sounded particularly distressing, and if it hadn't stopped, I was tempted to drive over and see if everything was ok. Maybe they reached a crescendo last night - and it's all over!

I know in the grand scheme of things, it is miniscule - just curious as to others' knowledge of these beautiful, but mysterious, creatures. And how much longer I'm going to have ruched eyes!

[Blaze]

I know the sound of peacocks well and it's a sound that really carries. Their screaming can be a warning of danger but perhaps they scream during the mating season too ?! It's nice to hear from a distance, but I can imagine how annoying it could be at night !!

[Spectrum]

A friend of ours had three, two cocks and a hen, we lived a couple of hundred yards away, what a racket. It was a smallish village and his wife's family were the landed gentry, so we all kept quite, this was in the eighties, and the bastards still liked to put us in our place.

[L Austin France]

A pal of mine who owned a country pub/resto which included rooms & a caravan park decided to get a few peacocks to add to the country ambiance of the place.
All was well until a very posh wedding reception happened during the mating season & staying guests awoke to find their very expensive cars had dents & scratches all over then as apparently the male peacocks were attacking their own reflections in these lustrous vehicles.
Well displayed notices informing guests that " vehicles parked at owners risk" avoided matey paying out thousands for repairs & the peacocks eventually were found another home although the fun & games persuading them to stay away is another story

[Bayleaf]

Oops!

[Polarengineer]

This noise can be prevented by locking them up at night in their shed which is fitted with a loft perch high enough so that they cannot raise their heads to call

[manonthemoon2]

You're right, they do make a racket and I can see why PEs suggestion could work

[Bayleaf]

What a racket indeed! Matey up the road doesn't give a fig about the annoying noise emanating from his property. (It's currently for sale if anyone has a spare million or so euro they'd like to invest in a mini-chateau! Perhaps he has had a lot of complaints and feels unwelcome!). When I challenged him about the incessant dog barking a couple of years ago, he tried to tell me it was because the dog was on heat, and did I know anything about dogs. Erm, 'scuse me?? He also said it could be because they (at least nine or so dogs at the time) might be wanting attention or food or something. Well, give them some food or attention then!! He classes all these noises as normal country noises! At least his vast herd of horses and goats and goodness knows what else are quiet!

[MAD87]

Dreadful noise. Must be Millwall supporters.

[Polarengineer]

Tell your noisey neighbour that according to old French sayings, keeping peacocks in the garden brings bad luck to the home. He may ot believe you but it may sow enough doubt to worry him.