Ravenna Plans 1st Peacock Census for Punta Marina as Population Swells to About 120
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 16
Ravenna Plans 1st Peacock Census for Punta Marina as Population Swells to About 120
6 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 16
About 120 peacocks now roam Punta Marina, pushing Ravenna city council to plan its first official census and deploy “peacock rangers” to clean droppings and ease resident complaints.
A viral social media post mocking the birds’ mating scream intensified scrutiny of a problem residents say includes noise, mess and birds entering balconies, though local police called “invasion” and health-threat reports exaggerated.
The population has risen from an estimated 10 in 2018 to 40 in 2023 and roughly 120 today, with an ornithologist and animal-rights volunteers blaming supplementary feeding that drew birds out of the nearby pine forest.
Ravenna already abandoned a 2022 relocation attempt after opposition, and volunteers now warn residents not to feed the birds as officials weigh coexistence against renewed pressure to remove them.
Could urban redesign, not just rangers, offer a permanent solution to the town's peacock problem?
Should an invasive species' welfare be prioritized over a community's health and native ecology?