Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Statue of the Buddha in the main temple
Gadaladeniya Viharaya
McClellan Falls
McClellan Falls
Kraken Habitat
Skye Textile Mill
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Caru' cu Bere
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside the Rothko Chapel
These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism
about 1 hour ago
Aerial view of Pulau Tiga
The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever
about 18 hours ago
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Roaming among Assateague's feral island ponies
about 21 hours ago
The main reading room of the Athenaeum.
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Literary Landmarks Across Providence
about 21 hours ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Cathedral Peacock Hutch
AO Edited

Cathedral Peacock Hutch

A Gothic-style abode built to accommodate the church's three resident peacocks.

New York, New York

Added By
Kerry Wolfe
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The new peacock hutch.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
The new peacock hutch.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
One of the peacocks in 2015   Isabelle Dervaux / CC BY-SA 4.0
The new peacock hutch.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
The new peacock hutch.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
The new peacock hutch.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
Phil the peacock.   Samir S. Patel / Atlas Obscura
The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.   Simon.Absonditus/CC BY-SA 3.0
The new hutch.   Helena Kubicka de Bragança / The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The new hutch.   Helena Kubicka de Bragança / The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Locals who drop by the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City have long known to keep an eye out for its most glamorous patrons: its three peacocks. Harry, Jim, and Phil, who were named after prior heads of the church, are beloved members of the community. Phil, the white peacock, even has his own Twitter account.

But what the birds didn’t have was a fancy home that suited their style. Until 2017, that is, when the cathedral gifted the peacocks with a new, updated hutch.

The peacocks’ old abode was a shabby plywood structure, which was somewhat of an eyesore unbefitting of such beautiful creatures. A competition commenced in 2014 to design a new home for the fancy fowl. The winning hutch was officially opened during a blessing ceremony.

Afterward, Harry, Jim, and Phil would retire to their own state-of-the-art home, complete with pointed arches and windows that pay homage to the cathedral’s Gothic architecture. The walls are lightweight and yet insulated enough to keep the peacocks warm at night. The cathedral even plans to install an extra step in front of the entrance, as the peacocks are developing arthritis in their old age.

The three birds arrived on the cathedral grounds in the early 2000s. Visitors could watch the birds strut around the gardens, where they were known to flash their feathers. Those passing through the neighborhood could hear their squawks, especially during mating season.

The cathedral, which is known for its annual Blessing of the Animals, has kept peacocks since the 1980s. Its gardens also house an urban honey bee sanctuary.

In January 2023, the peacocks retired from their position at the cathedral. The church held a celebration to honor Harry, Jim, and Phil before the birds headed to their new home, a nonprofit animal sanctuary in South Salem, New York. The busy cathedral grounds were not the best environment for an aging peacock. It is not yet certain if new peacocks will fill their space on the grounds of St. John the Divine.

Related Tags

Animals Birds Churches Places To Stay Sacred Spaces

Community Contributors

Added By

Kerry Wolfe

Edited By

icatsstaci, Michelle Cassidy

  • icatsstaci
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

November 9, 2017

Updated

January 23, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/nyregion/peacocks-st-john-the-divine.html
  • https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/01/23/the-divine-peacocks-of-saint-johns-were-celebrated-as-they-headed-off-to-retirement
  • http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/10/18/cathedral-new-hutch-for-peacocks/
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/08/nyregion/peacocks-st-john-the-divine.html
  • http://www.stjohndivine.org/visit/calendar/events/liturgy-worship/18374/celebration-blessing-of-the-peacock-hutch
Cathedral Peacock Hutch
1047 Amsterdam Ave
New York, New York
United States
40.803821, -73.961836
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Peace Fountain at Cathedral of St. John the Divine

New York, New York

miles away

Tom's Restaurant

New York, New York

miles away

Rat Rock in Morningside Heights

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Nearby Places

The Peace Fountain at Cathedral of St. John the Divine

New York, New York

miles away

Tom's Restaurant

New York, New York

miles away

Rat Rock in Morningside Heights

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Related Places

  • The owl figure is found on north side of of Notre Dame de Dijon

    Dijon, France

    The Magic Owl of Dijon

    For over 300 years this little carving has been the city’s good luck charm.

  • Woodside Presbyterian Church.

    Troy, New York

    Woodside

    A man used his Civil War-era fortune to build this sanctuary in memory of his wife.

  • Mother Goose House.

    Hazard, Kentucky

    Mother Goose House

    An enormous goose sits atop this nest-shaped home.

  • The cathedral exterior.

    Genoa, Italy

    Genoa Cathedral

    This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

  • A maned wolf at Santuário do Caraça.

    Catas Altas, Brazil

    Maned Wolves of Santuário do Caraça

    This neo-Gothic monastery offers a rare chance to witness the unique maned wolf right up close.

  • The bamboo tunnel.

    Honduras

    Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center

    This incredibly diverse research station is one of the largest tropical botanical gardens in the world.

  • Cathedral of the Isles.

    Millport, Scotland

    Cathedral of the Isles

    The United Kingdom's smallest working cathedral also serves as a quaint bed and breakfast.

  • Cathedral of St. Demetrius.

    Vladimir, Russia

    Cathedral of Saint Demetrius

    Thousands of biblical and pagan images are carved into this small 12th-century church.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.