No avian species is more familiar to the Arboretum visitor than the peafowl, which roam freely throughout the grounds. Three pair were imported from Asia by “Lucky” Baldwin around 1890 and were meant as a colorful adornment to his rancho. Those six birds thrived, multiplied many fold and today, their descendants are a big attraction, especially in the spring when the peacocks display their magnificent train feathers in wooing the peahens. A census taken in the spring of 1960 showed the number of peafowl to be considerably more than necessary, so 160 of the birds were sold at auction. The resulting publicity created a picture story in Life magazine, followed by television, radio and newspaper coverage. Today, peafowl can be found in all corners of Arcadia and in some areas have overflowed into surrounding cities. The peacock is synonymous with the Arboretum and has been adopted as a symbol for the City of Arcadia.
