Strange Partners

[Wudman]

I was zipping down the road the other day and something strange caught my eye.  I went back and sure enough.......a peacock was with four jakes (young male turkeys).  He left the field with them when they ran.  I talked to one of the neighbors and the peacock has been seen with the turkeys wherever they go.  Sorry for the poor picture quality, but my cellphone is not the best in the world for long distance pictures.





He is to the left of the other birds.

Wudman

[WV Sawmiller]

   Pretty neat. We have lots of wild turkeys here and as often as not when they come in the pasture here next to the house there will be a big fox squirrel or two hanging out with them. I figure the turkeys expose walnuts and stuff they can't eat but the squirrels can.

   In Africa it was common to see young impalas hanging out with baboons. The baboons were very alert and it was safer for the impalas to stay near them.

   On Kruger game park we saw an old bachelor bull Blue Wildebeest hanging out with 40-50 impala fawns. It was like he was in charge of the nursery. We nicknamed him Uncle Remus.

    Several times we saw bachelor groups of old bull animals too old to maintain a harem of cows that had been kicked out of the herd hanging out together. You'd find a group with an Elephant, a rhino, a cape buffalo, and a giraffe or such hanging out together. All old bulls. Strong animals but not strong enough to keep a herd of cows like they had when younger. They hung out together for mutual companionship and protection. 

   I guess the turkeys are the closest things to family the peacock is likely to find. I hope they have a long and happy association together.

[ellmoe]

   Saw the same grouping thirty years ago on a large ranch in Central Florida that I managed the natural resources for . We were doing a helicopter survey when a large flock of turkeys flew up underneath us. Something didn't look quite right about that picture so we turned around and took another look . In that flock of twenty " turkeys" was a half dozen peacocks! They were still around when I left a few years later . I don't know if they were reproducing or not.

[breederman]

Our neighbors over the hill have had one hanging with the turkeys for a couple of years now. In cold weather they all come In her run in barn with the horse.

[zinc oxide]

Showed up right after Christmas. first attempt posting a pic here. seems to be sideways in preview but i'll figure it out eventually

 

[thecfarm]

I came very close in buying a pair of peacocks. 
I did have a wild turkey jump into the pen of my Thanksgiving turkeys.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Here is a picture of "Uncle Remus" the old bachelor Blue Wildebeest watching the nursery of impala fawns. I think he just wanted the company.