Residents baffled by random peacock that taps on windows for food

By Isobel Williams

A peacock has "moved in" on a quiet Surrey street — appearing in residents’ gardens and at their windows to ask for food.

People living on Beechcroft Drive, near Guildford, say the colorful bird — dubbed Pete — was first spotted six months ago. But no one knows where he came from.

Homeowners have since launched a WhatsApp group to monitor his movements. They say a hungry Pete often knocks at their doors to ask for food and has even "broken in" to one home.

Despite contacting wildlife charities, parks, and farms, no one has claimed the peacock. While many people enjoy observing animals in their backyards, a stray bird of this size presents unique neighborhood challenges.

Jim Andy, 79, says he was the one to discover and name Pete.

"I just opened the curtains and he was standing on the patio," he said. "I tried to feed him, but I didn’t know what to give a peacock. We have tried to find out where he is from, but we don’t know. I was worried about him being near the A3 because he just flew in. He just flies from one garden to another. We all see him regularly knocking on the window for food."

His wife, Nicola Andy, 78, added: "He is amazing. He is here every day. He doesn’t want to go apparently. He is our baby. If he is getting fed, then he is quite happy. It is a shame that he is on his own. He needs a friend. He is so beautiful."

Pete eats food left out by the locals, including fruit, herbs, peanuts, birdseed — and ice cream wafers. He has become a beloved pet to some, and they even started a WhatsApp group to talk about his movements called "Pete’s Pals."

Martin Dowland, who has lived in the area for 10 years, says his garden is one of the most visited due to his herb plants, which Pete loves to nibble on.

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"He is semi-tame," Dowland said. "He has taken a mince pie out of my hand before. He is quite cute as well. He just lounges around being elegant. He came in the back door the other day. He always comes and looks at us through the window. We bought birdseed for him, but he is quite fussy; he prefers herbs."

Dowland added that while the bird is beautiful, having a large peacock disrupting your home garden can be overwhelming.

"He flew over the fence the other day and it was quite scary because he has a massive wingspan. He is basically just a big blue chicken," he said.

Dowland says they tried calling all local wildlife charities, farms, and parks, but nobody has claimed the lost peacock.

"My cat is quite scared of him," he said. "I would rather he go home. Well, I say that I want him to go, but I keep feeding him. I have a soft spot for him. I would like him to find somewhere that he is happy. It is quite dangerous here."

Jenna Mackay, 36, said: "He always comes to the glass doors and my dog barks at him and he puts his feathers up. He has been around for a while now. He is always at the back door pecking. He is quite funny. We have no idea where he came from; he just arrived one day."

"When people don’t see him for two days, they put it in the group chat asking where he is," she said. "We all love him. We did feed him when he first came, but then he started digging up my plant boxes, so we stopped."

Another resident, Trish Tye, 60, added: "He is coming increasingly often. I usually pop some peanuts out for him. I think we all give him different things. He always comes to the door and stares in, or he climbs up and looks at me through the window. It seems like he is looking for company."

"He always poos on the decking, but that is easy to clear away. He doesn’t make any sound," she said. "If we never fed him, I don’t know what would have happened. But he seems quite happy. He has a very varied diet."

Peacocks are male peafowl known for their bright colors and elaborate tail feathers used to attract a mate.

They do not occur naturally in the wild in the U.K., according to Help Wildlife, and are actually "feral birds" — those straying from a domestic collection. If you encounter a lost peacock, experts recommend contacting local authorities.