Some Lost Lake neighbors say the birds are noisy and damaging property. Others say the peacocks are part of the neighborhood and should be left alone.
Casselberry leaders are set to discuss the city’s peacocks at a special meeting Monday, as residents in the Lost Lake neighborhood remain divided over what should happen to the birds.
Some neighbors say peacocks leave droppings, make noise and damage property. Others enjoy seeing them and want the birds to remain protected.
“About six of them got up on there, and they’re heavy,” said Workman, a 90-year-old Lost Lake resident, describing peacocks on his pool enclosure. He said the birds tore down part of the screen about 10 years ago.
Workman said the peacocks have been in the area since before he moved there in 2000. He recalled trying to chase the birds away with a hose and said they can be loud.
But not every neighbor sees the flock as a nuisance.
Mark, a Lost Lake resident who said he enjoys animals, said he used to see 10 or 12 peacocks pass through his backyard in the morning while he drank coffee. Recently, he said, he has hardly seen any.
“I like the peacocks,” he said. “They don’t bother me.”
Mark acknowledged that some people complain about droppings and the birds’ calls, especially in the morning. But he said those concerns do not bother him.
“How about if we get rid of the cicadas? They make a lot of noise at the end of the summer,” he said. “Peacocks make noise. So what?”
Why Casselberry’s peacocks are protected
Casselberry designated itself a bird sanctuary in 2017, after residents petitioned the city. Under Section 18-3 of the city’s municipal code, it is unlawful to take, trap, hunt, harm or kill protected peafowl.
The sanctuary rules limit what residents can do to remove the birds. The city is now weighing whether to repeal the designation, create an exception for Lost Lake, or keep the protections in place.
The debate has drawn passionate views from residents. At a previous commission meeting, neighbors described property damage and asked for a way to manage the birds, while supporters said they value having peacocks in the neighborhood. The city previously directed staff to schedule a workshop to review the ordinance.
Some residents have also raised concerns that feeding the birds may encourage them to stay. In the earlier discussion, neighbors disagreed over how to address the flock while balancing residents’ concerns with the birds’ continued presence.
What happens next
The special meeting is scheduled for Monday at 5:30 p.m. City leaders are expected to discuss the peacocks and the sanctuary rules. It was not clear from the information available whether commissioners will vote on a change to the ordinance at the meeting.
Until the city changes the rules, the bird sanctuary protections remain in effect.