Members of San Antonio City Council are seeking additional protections for the wild peacocks that roam certain city neighborhoods.
The wild peacocks that roam around San Antonio , serving as vibrant mascots to certain neighborhoods, could soon be protected under a proposed citywide policy. District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito has filed a Council Consideration Request requesting additional safeguards for the city’s wild peafowl population.
Approved by five City Council members, the memorandum kick-starts the process of turning the proposal into an actual city policy. The City Council members seek to designate San Antonio a Bird Sanctuary where the capture, killing, shooting, trapping, removal or relocation of wild peafowl is not permitted by untrained or unlicensed individuals and is punishable by a maximum fine of $500. City Council’s Governance Committee was briefed on the CCR Tuesday and referred it to the Public Safety Committee, which will review the request during its next meeting in May. It is currently illegal in San Antonio to abuse or cruelly treat peafowl, use inhumane traps, sell peafowl in public places or hunt wild peafowl in public spaces. The proposed policy would update the city’s website to remove language indicating what is “lawful but not encouraged,” like feeding wild peafowl, using humane traps or removal methods or humanely killing them outside of the public’s view. READ MORE: 2 dead, 4 injured in officer-involved shooting at Market Square following Fiesta parade San Antonio was certified as a Bird City Texas community in 2021 as part of a partnership between Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, but the CCR notes that the protections granted under the certification only apply to native birds and their habitats. As a non-native species, peafowl are considered “exotic fowl” under state guidelines and are not subject to the Federal Migratory Bird Act. Since they are considered wildlife, Animal Care Services does not currently address issues with peafowl unless it is a cruelty-related matter or if the animal is injured. Gavito’s proposal would allow the agency to humanely capture, remove and relocate peafowl or other exotic birds — but “only after taking community input into account,” the CCR states. Peafowl were introduced to San Antonio several decades ago and have since become free-roaming wildlife in some residential areas. Neighborhoods like Glenoaks, Oak Hills and Dreamhill Estates are known to host ostentations of peafowl that roam the streets and yards largely undisturbed. “For many residents, peafowl are a valued part of their neighborhood and serve as a beautiful attraction for the area,” the city’s website says. “For others, peafowl are disruptive and destructive, as they can cause excessive noise, as well as damage to roofs, cars and gardens.”
Public Safety Committee San Antonio City Council CCR District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito Governance Committee Audubon Texas Texas Parks And Wildlife Department Glenoaks Gavito San Antonio Bird Sanctuary Bird City Texas Market Square Oak Hills Dreamhill Estates Fiesta Federal Migratory Bird Act
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