".......I quite fancy the idea of shooting peafowl though - but with something more effective than an air rifle ! "

Oh absolutely! It's just that I live in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles and a 12 ga out the window would have attracted unwelcome attention from the local Sheriff's office. The 5mm airgun, on the other hand would have simply made the rotten thing mysteriously fall over and start kicking until I came out to police it up. "Dear,dear! Whatever could have happened here? Oh well, let the plucking begin," don'tcherknow.