TIL hawks are used to hunt pigeons at tube stations
September 11, 2024
randomly saw a guy carrying what looked like an eagle at Liverpool Street station this morning. found out after doing some research that they’re Harris Hawks and are used to hunt down or keep pigeons away from stations and other areas. so interesting!
by wellfelix
7 comments
Wow, really?That’s like having your own feathery bounty hunter!But instead of chasing outlaws, they’re after pigeons.
They don’t actually kill pigeons they just scare them away. If the hawks learn there is food off the glove they won’t come back. One kill and they have to retire them
This guys hinge profile must be incredible
Yeah seen it a couple of times, quite entertaining to see the mass exodus of pigeons – they buggar off pretty damn sharpish.
A fella would come do the same thing in a business park place I worked in, I remember one occasion I’d a couple of our American colleagues visiting and one of the lasses has a conversation with the falconer like…
Her: “Wow, that’s amazing can I pet her?”
Falconer: “I mean… You could…”.
Her: “Will she bite?”
Falconer: “She might I suppose…”.
Girl reaches out to pet Harris hawk, at which point I intervened and suggested that might not be the best idea.
Well, train stations not tube stations.
But falconers are pretty common in London. That’s how the got rid of the pigeons from Trafalgar Square. (Diamond geezer did a post recently about meeting the falconer )
I think it’s only a matter of time before the peregrine falcons and sparrow hawks move in for the tasty sky rats…. Or maybe owls and it’ll look like Futurama
I had a hawk perch on my 4th floor balcony once. It’s surprising there aren’t more raptors around given the bonanza of food available in the form of pigeons.
Wow, that really is utterly fascinating to know. What a great job, if a bit red in tooth and claw.
7 comments
Wow, really?That’s like having your own feathery bounty hunter!But instead of chasing outlaws, they’re after pigeons.
They don’t actually kill pigeons they just scare them away. If the hawks learn there is food off the glove they won’t come back. One kill and they have to retire them
This guys hinge profile must be incredible
Yeah seen it a couple of times, quite entertaining to see the mass exodus of pigeons – they buggar off pretty damn sharpish.
A fella would come do the same thing in a business park place I worked in, I remember one occasion I’d a couple of our American colleagues visiting and one of the lasses has a conversation with the falconer like…
Her: “Wow, that’s amazing can I pet her?”
Falconer: “I mean… You could…”.
Her: “Will she bite?”
Falconer: “She might I suppose…”.
Girl reaches out to pet Harris hawk, at which point I intervened and suggested that might not be the best idea.
Well, train stations not tube stations.
But falconers are pretty common in London. That’s how the got rid of the pigeons from Trafalgar Square. (Diamond geezer did a post recently about meeting the falconer )
I think it’s only a matter of time before the peregrine falcons and sparrow hawks move in for the tasty sky rats…. Or maybe owls and it’ll look like Futurama
I had a hawk perch on my 4th floor balcony once. It’s surprising there aren’t more raptors around given the bonanza of food available in the form of pigeons.
Wow, that really is utterly fascinating to know. What a great job, if a bit red in tooth and claw.