Exotic bird finds new perch in Shawano

That was one funky chicken that took up residence in downtown Shawano this summer.

Known as a guinea fowl, the large African bird resembling a turkey came out of nowhere and kept local bird-watchers captivated for weeks.

It was spotted behind the post office, outside a church, and, yes, even crossing a road.

The exotic creature’s summer on the run came to an end Thursday morning when police captured it in a backyard not far from where the Wolf River passes through downtown.

That was still not the end of the story surrounding the peculiar feathered visitor that flew into town an oddball stranger and quickly became the center of attention.

“It was kind of comical,” said resident Cheryl Buist, who drove around hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous fowl.

“There were sightings all over the place,” she said. “It was kind of funny.”

Native to Africa, the guinea fowl can sometimes be found on Wisconsin farms, where its shrill chirping sound and sharp claws are helpful in keeping away predators.

In a city like Shawano, however, folks are not accustomed to seeing such a critter strut down Main Street.

Postal carrier David Schlise encountered the bird one day behind the downtown post office as Schlise was preparing to make his rounds.

“I never actually saw it, but I heard it,” Schlise said. “You could tell it was a bigger bird, by the sound of it.”

Soon, the dark-colored bird with the distinctive profile and unmistakable cluck was all the rage on social media. Followers on Facebook breathlessly shared reports of its movements, theories about where it came from, and questions about how long it could continue its wayward ways.

Some fans of the guinea fowl — which everyone called a guinea hen, assuming it was female — put out food to help the winged folk hero reach its next destination. Still another follower reported menacingly that he had tried to run the creature over in his car.

Then the suspenseful tale reached its climax.

Sandi Smith spotted the guinea fowl Thursday morning behind her house on West Green Bay Street. Smith had been following the bird’s saga on social media, so she knew it was no common backyard visitor.

Worried that the critter might not survive much longer, Smith contacted a friend who specializes in animal rescues.

“Everybody in town talked about it, but nobody did anything about it,” Smith said. “I just wanted the poor thing caught and taken to where she could be safe.”

The creature ran across rooftops and jumped between tree branches to elude capture. But when a Shawano police officer and animal control officer arrived on the scene, they slowed the bird down with a garden hose and then nabbed it with a fishing net.

Officer Jody Johnson said police had been getting calls for weeks about the exotic African visitor. She was relieved to catch it and help the animal find a more suitable place to live.

“Obviously it doesn’t belong in a city,” Johnson said.

Once secured inside a caged transport, the bird went home with animal rescue specialist Liz Shames, who keeps chickens and other animals on her property near Bonduel.

Shames soon discovered that the guinea hen was actually a guinea cock — a male. She started calling him “Wiley” because of his clever ability to evade capture and survive in unfamiliar surroundings.

Although she is happy to give him a home, she hopes to find another place where he can join other guinea fowl. Such birds are meant to live in flocks, so she suspects his high-profile trek through Shawano was nothing more complicated than a search for other birds like him.

“He was probably just having a great time,” Shames said. “He’s quite a little celebrity.”