pavo cristatus
Fort George Island Cultural State Park, Florida – Ribault Club
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – 8:52 am
Your basic peacock. Apparently, a population has established itself in the “wild” in Florida and has survived long enough to become countable on bird lists. It wasn’t a big goal of mine, but since I was in the area …
The Ribault Club is a resort from the 1920s, restored as part of a state park and open for events and weddings. Except on the day I was there. It’s also a place where peafowl are reported regularly. The parking lot was open, so I figured it was OK for me to walk the grounds. I wasn’t out of the car for a minute before I heard a peacock give it screeching cry. A minute later I found it – on the roof the building. We stood and looked at each other for a few minutes, and then I wandered the grounds looking for other birds.
Perhaps 45 minutes later, I saw the peacock strolling across the grass under the trees. I stood where I could get decent photos as it passed within three feet of me on its way down to the shore. It’s an impressive bird, even if seeing one involved no challenge whatsoever.
