Peacocks at a Mosta farm have been keeping their neighbours awake at night with their noisy mating calls.

The beautiful but clamorous birds, who also shriek when they are scared, live on a farm in Triq Dun Anton Abbati, where they are bred.

They belong to a family who has had a farm there for decades but, over time, a part of the land was sold for development and apartments built around it,” Moira, one of the frustrated residents, said.

“They start at around 8.30pm and are at it till 3 or 4am... their call at night is terrifying.”

Another resident said that he keeps the windows closed to muffle the screeches.

“It’s come to the point now where I hear them even when I am not at home,” he said.

Residents who have been living in the Mosta area for over 20 years say the problem has only emerged this year. But the 45-year-old owner of the farm said that his family have kept peacocks at the premises for at least 28 years.

Kevin, who did not divulge his second name, said he has a total of 12 birds: seven males and five females.

“They call during breeding time and when they are scared,” he explained.

The owner of the birds said that dogs barking on the balconies of the surrounding apartments also set off the birds. 

The farmer said he would sell five of the birds this week, keeping two peacocks and five peahens but had no intention of removing all the birds.

He dismissed a suggestion to relocate them to some other field which was not in a residential zone, saying he feared dogs would attack them.

The owner also said that the peacocks would become quieter soon when the breeding season was over.

The police confirmed they have received complaints about the birds and had also spoken to their owner.

“One time, a resident came to report at 3am. He was a very frustrated person who, evidently had not had much sleep: I could tell by the bags under his eyes,” a police officer said.

However, they say there is little they can do.

“We can only speak to him and he has promised to remove some of them and keep just a pair,” the police said.

Questions sent to the Mosta local council have remained unanswered.

Peafowl breeding season usually start from the beginning of March until the end of July... so it seems that residents may have to endure the all-night catcalls for a little longer.