The Peacocks

Peacocks have been living on the Palos Verdes Peninsula for over 100 years. Our wild peafowl population is part of what makes our beautiful community so unique. Summer brings the baby peachicks and we just couldn’t resist doing a story about these exotic birds. Whether you consider the peacocks to be magical or a nuisance, I think we can all agree that seeing a male peafowl fan out his patterned plumage walking down a street in Palos Verdes is part of the rustic charm and nostalgia that reminds us why we live here.

Story Contributed by Bruce and Maureen Megowan

Bruce and Maureen Megowan are experts on the history of Palos Verdes and its peacocks. They are co-authors of the “Historic Tales from Palos Verdes and the South Bay”. They are 36-year residents of Lunada Bay, and have raised three sons here. The following is an adaptation from their book.

Mr. Frank Vanderlip purchased the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1913. In 1916, he constructed the first residential home on the Peninsula in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes, which he called the Old Ranch Cottage. Mr. Vanderlip maintained a large bird aviary just below the Old Ranch Cottage, which included a number of large bird coops and a large semi-circular pond providing a haven for migratory birds. He had a full-time bird doctor living next door, and a “bird hospital” built next to the pond.

The origin of the peacocks that inhabit the Palos Verdes Peninsula is somewhat disputed. In an interview, Frank Vanderlip Jr. stated that the peacocks were a gift from Lucky Baldwin, a prominent investor and businessman. In this version, Mr. Vanderlip was visiting Mr. Baldwin in Arcadia, and admired his flock of peacocks that had been imported from India in 1879. Mr. Vanderlip commented that his Villa Narcissa was “too quiet,” and Mr. Baldwin then gifted Mr. Vanderlip six peacocks to “liven the place up.” Elin Vanderlip, in a book published shortly before her death, also claims that the peacocks were a gift from Lucky Baldwin. This, however, would not have been possible as Mr.Baldwin died in 1909, prior to Mr. Vanderlip’s purchase of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In another version of the story, Anita (the daughter of Mr. Baldwin), supposedly gave the peacocks to Mr. Vanderlip. Yet another version, published by Francine A. Bradley (Ph.D. UC Davis), states that the original peacock colony on the Palos Verdes Peninsula was a gift of 16 birds from the daughter of William Wrigley Jr. to Frank Vanderlip Sr. from his aviary on Catalina Island. The peacocks, which had been maintained at the Vanderlip Estate in Portuguese Bend, were apparently released after Mr. Vanderlip’s death.

It is also suspected that some of the birds were introduced to Palos Verdes Estates by former mayor Fred Roessler sometime between 1960 and 1965. There are now numerous peacock colonies in Rancho Palos Verdes in the Crestridge, Vista Grande, and the Portuguese Bend areas. They also occupy the Lunada Bay and Malaga Cove areas of Palos Verdes Estates, and numerous areas in Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills.

The first peacocks on the Peninsula lived at the Vanderlip Cottage in Portuguese Bend. The picture shows a group of them visiting Mr Vanderlip’s parrot in a cage by the door inside.

Peacocks were a part of everyday life at Villa Narcissa during the early days. Narcissa Vanderlip shown dressed up as a peacock for a party at the family home.

We would like to sincerely thank Katrina Vanderlip for sharing these wonderful photos and stories from her days with the Peacocks at Villa Narcissa.
You can also find out about the Vanderlip Heritage Fund.