The Pride of Bouldin Creek: Behind the Scenes with Mattie’s Peacocks

Interview Questions: "Meet the Keepers of Mattie’s Peacocks" 

1. How long have the peacocks been a part of Mattie’s grounds—and do you know how it all started? 

The peacocks were gifted to the Faulk/Koock family (original owners of Green Pastures) back in the 1960s, and they’ve been thriving here ever since. 

2. How many peacocks currently live on the property, and do they each have names? 

While it can be quite tricky to catch them all in one spot at a time, my current count is about 17 adults and 4 new babies hatched this summer! So, I’d say we currently have about 19-22 birds on the property! 

As for names, we’ve only named the ones we can tell apart! The white one is Hans Solo (we’ve also named one of our House Cocktails after him). We also have the famous Steve the Peacock, one of the older males, estimated to be about 15 years old. He has a singular, wonky feather that sticks out, and that is his identifying marker. There is Sneaky Pete, who tends to hang out on the roof most days, spying on everything and everyone down below. One of the babies was born about a month before the others, so he’s larger and currently the size of a chicken. I’ve been calling him Peanut, after his favorite snack. We were given a peahen by a lovely family that found her in South Austin, and her name is Paisley. 

3. What does a typical day of care look like for the birds? 

Since they’re wild birds and we respect that, we don’t provide much care for them, as we want them to maintain their self-sufficiency and independence. It’s essential for them to know how to forage for bugs, seeds and the like on their own, so we try to only supplement their natural diet with occasional treats (peanuts, mealworms, blueberries, etc). 

Their favorite summertime treat is crushed ice, which we call “Peacock Snow Cones”! 

4. Are there any unique personality traits or quirks that guests might not notice right away? 

I think a lot of people are surprised to learn about the wide range of sounds that peacocks can produce when they come to our property. Some might be familiar with the typical cries they make, which has often been compared to cats wailing or babies crying, but they will also honk loudly, gently coo and cluck to one another, make laughing hyena sounds when they fly, and the little peachicks have adorable tiny chirps up until about a year old. 

5. What’s the most surprising thing people don’t know about peacocks? 

I’ll share a couple of facts that I’ve come to learn about during my years with them: 

-Our white peacocks are not albino, as many would naturally assume. Instead, they are leucistic, a genetic trait in animals that partially or fully affects the pigmentation of their feathers or fur, but not their eyes, which retain their pigment. 

-Baby peachicks stay brown for up to six months, for camouflage purposes. It is quite challenging to know the sex of the newer ones until they are nearly fully grown and their colors slowly develop. 

6. Do the birds have a particular season or time of year when they’re especially active or vocal? 

Absolutely! From about late winter to about mid-August, they are definitely at their most vocal. Their tail feathers have fully grown back in by February/March, and they are READY to start peacocking and strutting their stuff! After moulting (late summer/early fall), they don’t feel as pretty with their shorter tails, and hardly make a peep. 

7. What’s the biggest challenge in caring for them—and the greatest joy? 

I’d say I first learned about their incredible resilience a few years ago, back when we had that bad freeze. I was so worried about them since I read they cannot tolerate temperatures below 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and we were scheduled to get a bit colder than that. We tried our best to encourage them into the shelter of an old greenhouse on the property, but their instincts took over and come sunset, they insisted on roosting in their normal spots in the trees. We had about five days of below-freezing temperatures, and despite many of us checking on them (as well as many concerned neighbors!), throughout that time, we remarkably learned that to handle extreme cold, they basically stayed immobile up on their branches, tucked into their feathers, and just hunkered down until conditions improved. It was a beautiful sight on that first day that went above freezing, and one by one, they came down to find sunny spots, stretched out their wings, and finally ate the many snacks that people provided! 

8. Have there been any memorable moments or stories involving the peacocks and guests over the years? 

That’s a great question to bring to the community. We’d love to hear the stories from guests and neighbors of their funny and memorable moments! 

9. How do you ensure they stay healthy, happy, and safe in such a public environment? 

Unfortunately, we can’t keep them protected at all times. It is quite common to lose some of the babies each year to foxes, coyotes, hawks, and other predators. We have also lost two adults over the years to people’s dogs that have gotten loose and that was really tragic. Other than that, there’s always the occasional child (or adult) that we have to politely remind not to chase after them or get too close. They’re very comfortable around people, but they’re still wild animals and that comes with unpredictability. 

10. Finally, what do you think the peacocks symbolize for Mattie’s and the Bouldin Creek community? 

We absolutely love being called “The Peacock Spot”. We’re so lucky to have the space that we do, with the majestic Live Oak trees and generous acreage, which provide them the perfect habitat. Most of all, we’re eternally grateful to have such wonderful neighbors who appreciate the significant history of Mattie’s and Green Pastures, along with ours. It’s pretty special to walk around Bouldin Creek and see the “Peacocks Welcome” signs in so many of the yards. Now, training them to stick to visiting only those houses, well, that’s a whole other challenge!