Escaped peacock returns to New York's central park zoo

A mischievous peacock that escaped from New York City's Central Park Zoo was back home on Wednesday after taking a short-term lease on the ledge of an upscale Fifth Avenue apartment.

"Our staff monitored the bird through the night and at 6:45 a.m. he flew back on his own," zoo director Jeff Sailer said. "A thorough understanding of the peacock's natural behaviour allowed for the successful planning of its recovery."The peacock escaped on Tuesday and roosted on the window ledge of a posh apartment building on the Upper East Side.

It is now safe and sound in an aviary, Sailer said in a statement. The zoo had expected the peacock to fly back on its own accord.The peacock is the latest in a string of errant animals from New York City zoos. In March, a poisonous Egyptian cobra, now named Mia for "missing in action," captured the public eye after escaping from the Bronx Zoo and remaining on the loose for six days, spawning a series of satirical Twitter posts.

In May, a peahen also escaped from the Bronx Zoo, but was quickly recaptured in a nearby garage