Peacocks from Pittencrieff Park receive release from Dunfermline City Council | Scotland

Hamish, a handsome Indian blue peacock, picks determinedly at a head of cauliflower in the late afternoon sun at Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline. Angel, a delicate white peahen, sits atop the outdoor aviary calling to her chicks.

The birds hardly seem bothered as pipers and local dignitaries gather for a brief ceremony on Wednesday afternoon to bestow honorary citizenship on them. They are the first living creatures to receive the honour since Dunfermline in Fife was granted city status in May 2022.

Pittencrieff Park has been home to peacocks since 1905, but Wednesday's ceremony comes after a campaign by the dedicated volunteers who care for the birds every day.

“Peacocks have had the freedom to roam the park for over a century. When Dunfermline was granted city status, we pushed even harder to officially grant the birds this status,” says Chief Peacock Warden Suzi Ross. “These birds are loved by so many people from Dunfermline and around the world.”

Ross has been refurbishing the birds' habitats since taking over in 2016. She rebuilt the aviary to raise public awareness of bird watching and rescued other birds from across Scotland. The centre is now home to eight peacocks and nine peahens, as well as four fluffy peacock chicks who are just three weeks old.

Peacocks have been an integral part of Dunfermline since local philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated Pittencrieff Park to the community in 1903 and, upon his return from India two years later, received a pair of breeding peacocks from his friend Henry Beveridge.

“There was a general feeling that birds had always had free rein in the city and many people remember them in the park,” says James Calder, the councillor responsible for the region, pointing out that one of his daughter's first words was “peacock”.

“When we were granted city rights, the council decided that they should be granted the first freedoms of the city.”

The peacocks are cared for 365 days a year by a team of volunteers. “An event like this helps us raise our profile,” says deputy warden Carlyn Cane. “We don't receive any public funding, so we can only continue through donations.”

Val Colville has been volunteering at the centre for six years and is particularly responsible for feeding the birds. The peacocks eat a wide range of foods, from mealworms and peanuts to green vegetables and corn on the cob. They have also shown a fondness for chocolate cake. Wednesday's celebration featured an impressive three-tiered cake – two for the humans and one for the birds.

While the peacocks typically stay within the park boundaries, some of the more adventurous birds are known to wander further afield, and signs have been posted along surrounding roads warning drivers to be cautious.

“If you see them on the road, the best thing to do is to gently guide them back to the park with your arms outstretched,” says Colville, who advises the public to treat the birds with respect and keep dogs on a leash. “Even in the park, it's OK to say hello, but don't charge at them.”

Locals know the birds don't always wait for an invitation. “My friend who lives up the road came home a few years ago to find five birds sitting in her living room,” says Colville. “She was pretty surprised, but they were perfectly calm and just looking out the window.”

“I went upstairs and cleaned their carpet afterward. They had left some business cards.”