For the Birds

Published June 28, 2011

A Michigan couple has sued, claiming local wild peacocks and wild turkeys are a neighborhood nuisance. They have filed suit against the alleged owners of the birds and a group allegedly feeding them. They want the birds removed and are also claiming money damages.

The plaintiffs say the birds are nuisances, eating residents’ plants and flowers and pooping on private property. They allege the defendants are feeding the birds and sheltering them in winter, which they otherwise would not survive.

But other neighbors like the birds and say they add “character” to the neighborhood. They say the birds are noisy only during mating season and are not aggressive.

Source: John Tunison, “Pernicious peacocks? Grand Rapids man files lawsuit, claiming birds are neighborhood nuisance,” The Grand Rapids Press, June 28, 2011