Are Peacocks Aggressive? 7 Facts to Know

Colorful plumage, lustrous feathers, and regal appearance, that’s what peafowls are known for. No one can stop themselves from praising the beautiful looks and most of us have thought about owning one at one point in time. Well, this decision to have a peacock as a pet should not be based solely on good looks.

Most people fear certain personality traits of peacocks, they find them aggressive and not friendly at all. Have you heard of Ornithophobia?

This term is used for fear of birds, in general. So many people have attested that they experienced fear, terror, and panic when a peacock was nearby.

There is a term “pavophobia” added to the lexicon in regards to this fear.

We may have heard about some incidents where peacocks were found guilty of attacking humans and children.

How true is that? Is it pure aggression or they were provoked to do so? These concerns are generally raised by people who are at a crossroads of whether they should pet a peacock or not.

Are Peacocks Aggressive?

The fear of the peacock makes sense as it can grow to be about 4 feet tall once it spreads its wings. They possess sharp beaks and talons and can be both aggressive and fiercely territorial. Peafowls are aggressive birds but peacocks (male) can be even more so.

There is no compromise when it comes to food and they want what they desire, with their ability to fly, they have attacked many people at zoos to snatch food or for some other reason.

These attacks are not uncommon and happen frequently which has led to different zoos purging the peacocks.

At first glance, they are undoubtedly appealing and beautiful to the point you would want them as a pet without any second thoughts.

Just as anything, owning a peacock comes with several benefits as well as risks and disadvantages.

Peacocks are Not Affectionate or Social

Peacocks are not affectionate, social, and hardly get along with other birds. Unlike parrots and other birds, they rarely relate or develop a bond with humans.

They never eat from the hands of their owners.

Peafowls, not being social, become aggressive when someone tries to come close. Besides humans, they attack fellow male peacocks fiercely.

It is just not possible for them to live in groups as they are unsociable and have so much hatred among themselves.

Tamed Peacocks are Less Aggressive

To make sure your kid is safe around Peacocks and their wrath is to tame them. Taming would not be an easy task, to be more precise, next to impossible. It would require a lot of patience, time, and professionalism.

If you somehow succeed in this endeavor, then congratulations, it would be a lot safer to go near it. If a child goes around a peacock to play, it would not shy away from hurting him.

To peacefully co-exist in a safe environment, it is important to tame them. It will not be an easy job to do but definitely worth a try.

Peacock Attacks Are Quite Common

Peacocks can be threatening to humans and it is hard for them to co-exist peacefully. Peacocks attacks are not unheard of, several unfortunate incidents have happened to many people involving peacocks attacking humans.

If they find humans as a potential threat, they strike them with their beaks. When they sense danger, peacocks tend to bite to get out of the unpleasant situation. Sometimes they spread their feathers with anger.

They also jump, scratch, and do anything in their power to cause damage to the people.

Peacocks are not very smart, when they see their reflection in a dark-colored car, they begin to attack it thinking it’s another bird or a potential threat.

It is not safe for kids to play around peacocks, especially during the mating season. There were many incidents reported where a peacock attacked kids leaving them covered in bed.

Peafowls were featured in a number of news stories about zoo trips that were gone wrong. They pecked and scratched at people, sending them to the doctor for stitches. It is always good to keep a distance and love them from afar.

Why Peacocks are Aggressive?

Though almost anything can make them angry, few things work as fuel to the fire. It is not that they would act irrational and aggressive all the time without a valid reason.

Sometimes, certain things happening in the surroundings agitate them which often leads to bringing their ugly and aggressive side out.

• Peacocks can not tolerate anyone invading their personal space, neither humans nor fellow peafowls.

• They protect their territory fiercely and become so aggressive once somebody tries to enter their living space, even for their own good.

• Peacocks are the most aggressive during the breeding or mating season. Like chickens and other birds, they protect their eggs and make their owners run away from the coop with just arrogant looks. There is just no way to calm them down during this particular season.

• If Peacocks are hungry, they will tell their owners in one way or another, mostly in an aggressive and violent way.

• They can be dangerous if you try to kill as a peacock meat.

• Since birds can not speak, they inform their owners about different problems in different ways. Peacocks are more familiar with aggressiveness, so they convey their feelings with it.

• If they are being abused or treated badly by their owners, there is more than one reason to go all nuts. They will act stubbornly, aggressively, and irrationally refusing every order.

• They are not suitable to be kept as pets, in a traditional sense, so if you can not put up with their aggressive behavior, it’s better to not have one in the first place.

• Aggressiveness combined with low intelligence, peacocks can act violently just about anything. They do not always need a reason every time to show their anger and resentment.

• Peacocks also chase people for food, stealing or snatching from them. Most people already fear this bird and its aggressiveness, so, they do not put up much fight.

Peacocks have a hard time showing affection or being social. They only have a peaceful relationship with their human parents when they are tamed which is quite a task itself.

It is almost impossible to house train them and it is more likely they will fail obedience school on the first day.

It would be foolish to expect peacock to give you the same love in return. That’s just not how they are, they rarely get attached to humans and will happily move to neighbor’s property if the food is good there.

However, keeping them is not without rewards, seeing a healthy flock browsing the garden can be quite aesthetic.

How to Calm an Aggressive Bird?

No doubt, Peafowls can become quite intolerable at times, even their beauty seems to make no difference and you just want to give up on the bird.

If the birds get angry only during the breeding season, you do not have much to worry about. However, if it has become habitual, you have to look for triggers.

• Keep them in an open space, with enough land to roam around. Peacocks like to take a stroll, if you fear the bird will fly away, cover the pen with netting.

• Make them feel safe, make sure no predator can get in their living space. They act irrationally and aggressively when they see a potential threat approaching them.

• Make sure they have access to freshwater, feed them mixed grains at regular intervals every day. Keeping them well-fed somewhat makes them calm.

• Sometimes a hidden injury or other health issue is making them angrier. If this problem is getting out of control, take the bird to the vet.

Final Remarks

Even though they look beautiful and nice to stay with, Peacock birds do not like to be petted. They are difficult to tame and attack people and reflective surfaces. They do not like to socialize and want no one meddling in their affairs.