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Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

Introduced to Rottnest Island in the early 1900s by Western Australia's Acclimatization Committee, Indian peafowl became a familiar attraction but later a nuisance; the Rottnest Island Authority reduced the population to males in 2009, and the last bird died in April 2022. Where introduced populations persist in Australia, their noise, droppings and foraging can create local management issues around settlements, gardens and farmland.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: Indian subcontinent.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA, NT.

Other names: peacock, peahen, blue peafowl.

Best time to act: Survey at dawn or late afternoon, when birds are active near feeding areas or moving to roosts, and schedule control around local conditions and required approvals.

Identification

  • A large, ground-foraging bird with a small crest on its head.
  • Adult males have an iridescent blue head and neck and a very long train of feathers marked with eyespots.
  • Females are mostly mottled brown, with a greenish neck and a shorter tail.
  • Both sexes have a small white patch around the eye and can fly to roost in trees.
  • Look-alike: The male's long, brightly coloured train and the female's crest help distinguish Indian peafowl from other large birds; there is no close native Australian lookalike.

Where it lives

Introduced birds use parks, farms, gardens and woodland or scrub with access to food, water and trees for roosting.

Why it matters

  • Their loud calls and droppings can be a nuisance around homes, visitor areas and other settled places.
  • Foraging and scratching may damage gardens, lawns and crops.
  • They eat a range of plant material and small animals, so local effects on food resources and native species may need assessment where populations occur.

How it spreads

  • People have introduced and kept peafowl, and escaped or deliberately released birds can establish local populations.
  • Birds can move around on foot and fly between feeding areas and tree roosts, allowing populations to spread locally.

Control methods

  • Reduce attractants by securing food and waste, avoiding feeding, and using suitable barriers to protect gardens or crops.
  • Where population reduction is needed, use trained operators and humane capture or other locally approved methods; check state, territory and land-manager requirements before acting.
  • Only manage nests or eggs where permitted and by people competent to do so, then monitor the site and repeat control if birds remain or return.
  • Report a new or expanding population to the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency where appropriate.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Do not move birds, eggs or contaminated litter between sites; clean boots and equipment of mud and organic debris before leaving, and dispose of waste appropriately.
  • Keep feed and waste secure and do not transport spilled feed between sites.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Not a declared pest. Not on an NT declared or prohibited list. Check with the NT Government before keeping, moving or releasing it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources