Each spring in Narrabundah, several residents decide whether to chase nesting peafowl from their gardens or protect them, as some have done in the past.
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Retired resident Geoffrey Dabb, who has photographed birds around the world since his teens, has observed the peafowls for decades, including "Harry", who was killed by "a hoon driver who mounted the kerb". Old Harry had mated before his death, and his offspring endure.
Mr Dabb says most of the flock of about 18 peafowl seem about two years old and not fully mature. Few chicks were born last season, or the one before, he said.
He expects adults are breeding in neighbours' gardens that don't have dogs. "So you see these tiny little chicks wandering around after the mother. Anyone who had them in their garden breeding would know about it probably. If they didn't like them, they could destroy the eggs or move them on."
The ACT government spent $10,000 trapping and relocating eight peafowl in 2013 to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, after some residents complained about their noisy calls, poo on the footpath and garden scratchings.
While the government refused to relocate any of them to willing rural residents in the capital region, for fear of spreading the population, the two peahens sent to the zoo were later rehomed to a bird enthusiast's place within Dubbo shire.
The six peacocks are free ranging within the zoo. "They have taken up their own territories including in the free visitor area, near the elephants, around the Asian Forest area and near the administration office," a spokeswoman says.
"The birds are in good health, and don't leave the zoo. They are appreciated by Taronga Western Plains Zoo's visitors," she said. "No, they haven't had their wings clipped, peacocks only like to fly short distances."
Mr Dabb is unsure from where the birds originated. Most likely they came from a rural leaseholder to the Narrabundah long-stay caravan park, from where they were chased by dogs until they moved elsewhere into the suburb.
A white peahen became a neighbourhood celebrity. "I used to call it White-ney Houston, it lasted a couple of years, and was sitting on eggs in someone's front yard and a fox got it and tore it to pieces," Mr Dabb said. Other residents called it Doris.
Foxes have culled Pialligo's peafowl that were introduced years ago by neighbours of Willow Park Nursery. Nursery worker Daniel Nikulin says the peacocks adopted Willow Park as their home, and now numbered five or six.
He said the nursery's owner had brought in a clutch of chicks this year to complement the older ones.
"They do tend to gravitate around the nursery, it's nice open space for them. They cross the road as well and get around. The kids love them," Mr Nikulin said.
