Why did the peacock cross the road? Stupid take on a new joke, right? But I’m asking in earnest.

While I won’t reveal the exact coordinates of these NBC-associated birds, I recently found myself rolling through wine country when I encountered no fewer than *three* full-grown, rainbow-feathered peacocks confidently strutting down a street in Lafayette. Right in the middle of town and not at all far from the highway. Accompanying this flashy trio? At least *ten* baby peacocks wobbling cutely behind them.

Now, this wasn’t my first Lafayette peacock encounter. But it *was* the largest group of the flamboyant fowl I’ve ever laid eyes on. And they were right there on the road, crisscrossing the street like they were the ones issuing traffic citations. Hollering. Unbothered. And oh so majestic. And in that bizarre moment, it hit me: the city I once reigned over as “Prince of Lafayette” now had a bona fide *fowl problem*.

Turns out, McMinnville had its own peacock problem a few years back. In 2021, there was a report (by a publication whose name escapes me) detailing a group of the birds roaming near the busy intersection of Orchard and Lafayette Ave. And, at just about four miles from downtown Lafayette, that puts them relatively close by to where I spotted them in Lafayette.

So… why *did* the peacock cross the road? Did these flamboyant escapees soar in from Mac, seeking asylum in Lafayette? Or was there another group of the fabulous fowl just across town lines?

Peacocks, as it happens, are found in Oregon. While they’re not native, people do keep them as pets or farms. However, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife classifies them as livestock. So there are a few plausible theories here.

Still, watching them confidently parade across that street with their babies in tow, heads high, and loud as fuck, I can’t help but think the answer’s simple.

So, why did the peacocks cross the road? They crossed the road because they *live* here. And like any proud resident of Lafayette with a brood to raise… they were probably just heading home.Peacocks Spotted in Wine Country’s Oldest City

-Andrew Brunello