[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/EW-01-18-13-Falconry.mp3|titles=EW 01-18-13 Falconry]
Falconry is an ancient sport, believed to have originated in the Mongolian steppes some 3,500 years ago. Before the days of firearms, the art of training bird of prey to hunt in the wild – and submit to a human – was a prized skill. It’s often associated with nobility; France’s Louis the XIII is said to have kept some 300 falcons.
In modern times, however, falconry has become the hobby of a select, committed few. So it was with interest that I read an article recently about harnessing the power of trained raptors to control nuisance birds.
Several companies have made a business out of hiring falconers to keep landfills, outdoor spaces, and agricultural operations free of avian pests. Among the early adapters is Airstrike Bird Control, a California-based company that services the West Coast. The premise is simple: intimidate nuisance birds with highly efficient predators until they decide to relocate.
Peregrine falcons are being used to manage seagull numbers at a trash transfer station outside of Portland. And Harris’ hawks are preventing seagulls, pigeons, and crows from taking over a pond at a Santa Barbara office park. These are just a handful of examples.
Falconry appears to offer a novel alternative to traditional methods of repelling nuisance birds, such as netting, noise cannons, anti-roosting spikes, and, of course, the humble scarecrow.
Web Links
Air Strike Bird Control
http://www.airstrikebirdcontrol.com/
Seattle Times
http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015848774_blueberries09m.html
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/business/pest-control-in-the-sky-courtesy-of-a-raptor.html?_r=0
Oregon Live
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/at_a_portland_garbage_station.html
Catalina Insider
http://www.thecatalinaislander.com/article/avalon-hires-falconers-disperse-problem-birds; http://www.thecatalinaislander.com/article/falcon-program-takes
Photo, taken on May 7, 2011, courtesy of Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.