The ACT government spent about $10,000 relocating eight peacocks from Narrabundah last year, but it has not led to a quieter mating season in the neighbourhood, one resident said.
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The Canberra Liberals have slammed the cost of the relocation to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo as ridiculous, with opposition environment spokeswoman Nicole Lawder calling for the consideration of resettlement in nearby rural areas.
A government spokeswoman said on Wednesday that difficulties in catching the colourful pheasants was the reason for the lower number of relocations, after initial plans and zoo approval to move up to 20 males.
Long-time Narrabundah resident Geoffrey Dabb said he liked having the peacocks around, but had not noticed a reduction in noise or droppings since last year's relocation, announced in April.
''There has been quite a bit of noise - same noise as 12 months ago - but that will drop off as the breeding season passes,'' Mr Dabb said.
''The dozen that come around here don't create any problems.''
Ms Lawder said she supported a relocation of the peafowl if residents requested it, but the government needed to explain the cost.
''I think my response is the same response as most average Canberrans - it seems a ridiculous amount of money to move a small amount of birds,'' she said.
''If that's what the residents want, then it makes sense to relocate them. But they could have relocated them closer and at a lower cost.''
A spokeswoman for Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said the $10,000 expense included costs for materials to build a specially designed trap, for food to bait the trap and for staff time to build it and catch the peacocks.
''As this was the first time TAMS had attempted to capture peacocks, it was a learning experience for staff as to the best methods and approach to catching the birds,'' the spokeswoman said.
''While TAMS initially indicated they might catch up to 20 birds (as the zoo had agreed to take a maximum of 20 peacocks), in the allocated time period of five afternoons, rangers were only able to trap eight peacocks.''
A TAMS spokesman said the population in Narrabundah, Griffith and Red Hill was now estimated to be about 20, down from about 30 this time last year.
Mr Rattenbury's spokeswoman said the reduction in numbers ''would suggest a decrease'' in noise level, damage to gardens and potential traffic safety issues.
''Our office has certainly received fewer complaints since the relocation,'' she said.
TAMS has recorded two complaints about the peacocks in the last three months - which Mr Dabb said included the usual mating and most of the hatching periods - with one complaint received from a Griffith resident on Tuesday.
Mr Dabb, a 75-year-old who has lived in the suburb since 1988, said three people came around from rural areas last year interested in taking some of the birds, but the government refused.
Ms Lawder said all avenues should be considered.
''We don't always need the Rolls-Royce solution,'' she said.
''If there are people willing to take them, and [authorities] have thought through the issues, why not take that option?''
Mr Rattenbury's spokeswoman said TAMS would monitor the situation and had no current plans to send peacocks to rural properties, given that this would introduce populations to other areas, ''which could become problematic''.
Local residents will be consulted before any further action.
The number of peafowl was reduced by at least one last month, when the well-known white Narrabundah peahen known as Doris was found mangled in a backyard, with a fox the suspected killer.
