CHICAGO — Uptown artist Jeffrey Littleton wants to find a new home for his favorite feathered friend, a peafowl named Pepe.
But it comes with a catch: Whoever winds up with the bird has to give Littleton visitation rights from time to time.
"It needs to be a place where I can still see him once in a while and bring him to parties," Littleton said. "I like the bird, and I've grown attached to him."
Littleton inherited the bird from his art teacher, Chinatown artist Andy Chan, who in September left for an art show in China and left the peafowl with Littleton.
Littleton has had Pepe — Littleton named the bird that because "he's peppy" — ever since. The bird — Littleton doesn't know what gender it is yet — lives in Littleton's studio in a large enclosed area. Male peafowls are called peacocks; female versions of the bird are called peahens.
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Even though there's nothing in the city's municipal code against keeping livestock or farm animals, Littleton wants Pepe to have a home with more space and a backyard. Littleton said people can reach out to him on Instagram, where he posts photos and videos of Pepe, if they want to adopt the bird.
Littleton said Pepe "follows me around like a puppy."
"When he's on my lap or shoulder, he never goes to the bathroom, even though I never trained him," Littleton said.
The bird, which eats chicken feed and pellets from Belmont Feed And Seed, costs Littleton only a few bucks a week. Pepe also dines on berries and veggies.
"H goes bonkers for raspberries and blackberries," Littleton said. "I feed him some greens, too. His favorite is raw bok choy, the mini Shanghai type. He also eats flowers and ate my orchids before I could turn back around."
Pepe can fly a bit and can get a little loud, but otherwise causes no issues, Littleton said.
"I like him," Littleton said. "He's cool."
