A South Florida Vet Takes on the Peacock Problem—One Tiny Surgery at a Time

For decades, peacocks have strutted their way into South Florida neighborhoods, dazzling residents with their jeweled feathers… and testing their patience with everything else. From 3 a.m. screeching to shredded gardens, the birds have long been both treasured and troublesome guests in cities like Pinecrest.

But three reproductive seasons ago, Pinecrest decided it was time to get serious about managing its booming peafowl population. Their secret weapon: South Florida veterinarian Dr. Don Harris.

Harris has spent years treating exotic animals, but even he admits this project is unlike anything he’s tackled before. Estimates place Pinecrest’s peafowl population somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000 — far more birds than the environment can comfortably support. Many are hit by cars, attacked by predators, or harmed by frustrated residents. Controlling the population humanely became a priority.

So Pinecrest called Harris.

A Creative Solution Takes Shape

Peacocks are prolific reproducers, and Harris knew traditional methods wouldn’t be enough. One male can mate with seven to twelve females, meaning one fertile bird can fuel an entire neighborhood’s worth of peachicks.

Castration wasn’t an option. It would cause males to lose their showy tails and their social status among the flock. Instead, Harris turned to a different plan: vasectomies.

With support from a Plantation grant, he acquired specialized endoscopy equipment and got to work. In a procedure lasting just a few minutes, Harris makes a small incision, inserts a camera, and severs the vas deferens. The bird keeps his hormones, his feathers, and his flock, but not his fertility.

Over three years, he has examined more than 500 birds and performed vasectomies on the majority of the males captured. Each neutered male prevents seven to ten females from laying fertile eggs that season, making a measurable dent in population growth.

The Next Breakthrough: Peahens

Until recently, the program focused on males. That changed when Harris invited Local 10’s Animal Advocate, Jacey Birch, to witness something brand new: the first commercially performed hysterectomy in a peahen.

The significance wasn’t lost on Harris. A single female, he explained, can reproduce for up to 25 years. If all her offspring survived and reproduced, her lineage could theoretically number in the millions. Sterilizing even a few females reduces that trajectory dramatically.

With this new surgical milestone, Harris can now offer sterilization for both peacocks and peahens — a major advancement in managing a non-native, feral species humanely.

After surgery, males receive blue leg bands and females red ones, signaling to the public that they’ve been sterilized — a system similar to ear-tipping in community cats.

A Future With Fewer Feathers — and Healthier Birds

The goal isn’t to eliminate peafowl from Pinecrest. It’s to create a healthier, safer, more manageable population.

“For people who love peacocks, the birds stay. For those frustrated by them, the city is taking meaningful action,” Harris told Local 10.

The program’s success is already drawing attention from other South Florida communities, where peafowl are known to roam from Fort Lauderdale down to the Florida Keys. More cities are expected to follow Pinecrest’s lead.

As for Harris, he isn’t planning to step away anytime soon. Sterilizing peacocks may not be the retirement most veterinarians imagine, but he’s the first to admit the work is far too fascinating to leave behind.