A peacock has been spotted tagging along with a gang of turkeys in the Crestwood Village neighborhood of Manchester.

* A peacock has been spotted in a Manchester neighborhood, often seen with a group of wild turkeys.

* Local animal refuge Popcorn Park confirmed the peacock is not one of theirs and believes it is likely a former pet.

* Experts say peacocks are surprisingly resilient, able to fly, evade predators, and tolerate cold weather.

MANCHESTER -- Dave Regenthal just grabbed a morning cup of coffee one day in late September and opened his blinds when he encountered a stranger on the porch of his Whiting home.

The plummage immediately gave it away.

"I thought, holy smoke?" he said. "That's kind of cool."

It was a peacock, and it's not the only time people have seen him in the neighborhood. Peacocks are social animals. And this one likes to hang out with a crew of wild turkeys that loiter in the area.

The peacock impressed Regenthal for more than just its colors.

"It was actually kind of comfortable with me being, you know, three to four feet away from it," said Regenthal, a retired paramedic in Austin, Texas and former soldier. "We thought that maybe it was an escapee from the Popcorn Park Zoo."

The zoo, the Popcorn Park Animal Refuge, lies in Forked River, a few miles away from Regenthal's home in the Crestwood Village 1 retirement development.

But people at the zoo said that while they have peacocks at the seven-acre refuge, this one is not theirs.

Peacock sightings come in periodically from Bayville, Manchester and the surrounding area, said Cory Scott, director of the Popcorn Park Animal Refuge.

"Most of them I assume are rogue pets," Scott said. "Or somebody dumped them out in the Pinelands. We've gotten calls every once in a while from people looking to surrender peacocks that they have as pets."

Because they look as resplendent as a costumed carnival parade dancer, people might assume that they are also somewhat fragile. That's hardly the case.

First off, they can fly.

"Honestly, they're really well adapted to living in this area," Scott said. "They get up in the trees and roost at night and are able to evade predators really well. They're a pretty tough species. They almost thrive with pretty little human interaction."

On top of that, they can definitely be a challenge to catch, he said.

Regensthal expressed concern for the bird with winter coming soon. But peacocks are also tolerant of the cold.

And they are self-reliant when it comes to food.

"They're kind of scavengers," said Tiffany Price, shelter manager at Popcorn Park "They'll eat anything, really. Ticks, bugs lettuce, tomatoes, fruit."

But when they are fed, they tend to hang around. They don't wander beyond the refuge.

Peacocks get along with species other than wild turkeys. Wild geese visit the refuge, attracted by the peacock food, and they find ready companions with the in-house peacocks, Scott said.

People who spot one fo the birds and are concerned, especially if they are in need of medical attention, can call their local animal control office. The one at the Manchester Police Department can be reached at 732-657-2009 ext. 4606.

The peacock Regenthal saw isn't the only neighborhood peacock around. One in Bayville has an ample fan base and its own Facebook page.

The Whiting peacock may follow suit. Meanwhile, Regenthal is watching out for it.

"We're keeping an eye out, and we hope there's a good outcome for this bird," he said.

Reporter Ken Serrano can be reached at 732-643-4029 or at [email protected]