# Unusual birds in the woods. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303 "2005-07-13T05:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/1 "2005-07-13T05:14:35Z")
So I toddle out to the back yard to read Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island, which I am enjoying immensely. There may have been a cigarette involved. I heard a rustling in the woods just beyond our tiny back yard. (Mill Hill Park, in other words.) Animal? Yes. Deer? No. It’s a bird… A large bird. Owl? No. Victorian Snowy Pigeon?\* No. Oh, just the neighbour’s cat. No. It’s not the neighbour’s cat. It’s a large, heavy bird. Cautiously, I stood and approached the woods, skirting my large pile of garden/lawn detritus (it will compost in approximately 28 years, I think.) An odd bird, a white bird… With an unusual plume on its head. I moved ever closer, curious. A white peacock was in the woods behind our house tonight. I had two beers at dinner, but my husband can provide independent verification. A white peacock. \*This creature does not actually exist. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/2 "2005-07-13T12:37:39Z")
Flannery O’Connor raised White Peafowl. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/3 "2005-07-13T14:04:45Z")
Asparagus makes my pee foul. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/4 "2005-07-13T14:15:24Z")
Thanks for sharing! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/5 "2005-07-13T17:19:57Z")
I once saw a snow white peacock at the zoo in Manhattan, Kansas. It was gorgeous, especially when it spread it’s tail feathers. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/6 "2005-07-20T05:41:06Z")
The unusual bird is [out of the woods](http://members.shaw.ca/janenoel/sundaypeacock.jpg) and hanging around our, and the neighbour’s, driveway. It likes budgie food. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/7 "2005-07-21T00:55:21Z")
I hate you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/8 "2005-07-21T01:44:59Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > So I toddle out to the back yard to read Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island, which I am enjoying immensely. There may have been a cigarette involved. > > I heard a rustling in the woods just beyond our tiny back yard. (Mill Hill Park, in other words.) Animal? Yes. Deer? No. It’s a bird… A large bird. Owl? No. Victorian Snowy Pigeon?\* No. Oh, just the neighbour’s cat. No. It’s not the neighbour’s cat. It’s a large, heavy bird. Cautiously, I stood and approached the woods, skirting my large pile of garden/lawn detritus (it will compost in approximately 28 years, I think.) An odd bird, a white bird… With an unusual plume on its head. I moved ever closer, curious. > > A white peacock was in the woods behind our house tonight. > > I had two beers at dinner, but my husband can provide independent verification. A white peacock. > > \*This creature does not actually exist. Albino peacocks are common here. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/9 "2005-07-21T01:48:48Z")
Pretty cool! They have a really obnoxious call – but if I ever had a lot of land, I’d definitely get peacocks. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/10 "2005-07-21T02:58:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Victorian Snowy Pigeon > [@](#): > > \*This creature does not actually exist. Perhaps not, but it’s closely-appellated cousin, the [Victoria Crowned Pigeon](http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Misc%20Species/Victoria%20Crowned%20Pigeon.htm) most certainly does! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/11 "2005-07-21T03:42:05Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > The unusual bird is [out of the woods](http://members.shaw.ca/janenoel/sundaypeacock.jpg) and hanging around our, and the neighbour’s, driveway. > > It likes budgie food. Yeah. Just wait until it gets hungry about 2 AM some night and starts calling for its food. You (and the neighbors for a radius of about 1/2 mile) will be sorry then… ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-birds-in-the-woods/312303/12 "2005-07-21T04:14:01Z")
I’ve heard it – her – make some strange sounds at dusk. She’s not an albino though; her eyes are dark. The Victoria Crowned Pigeon is a neat looking bird!