Thank you to Chase Dulles for writing this article.
Falconry based bird abatement is the use of trained raptors to scare off nuisance birds from an area. Birds are hard-wired to avoid predators. In bird abatement, the predator is a raptor, usually a hawk or a falcon; and the prey is any bird that is active in the area. When a raptor is seen hunting, it naturally causes birds to leave the area due to the fear of being caught. If a location becomes a regular hunting ground for a raptor, the birds will avoid it and move on to a new area.
In falconry based bird abatement the falconer goes through extensive training to create a partnership with their raptor. Both the falconer and the raptor have specific roles in the field. The falconer locates and identifies the nuisance birds and sets up the flight to safely remove them to another location. The raptor then takes flight and removes the birds from the property. During the flight, the falconer assists the raptor by flushing any birds that try to hide in cover. This process usually has to be repeated, but the nuisance birds quickly learn to avoid the area. Professional falconers effectively create an on demand hunting team to naturally remove nuisance birds from a variety of locations.
Is falconry based bird abatement right for my location?
Falconry based bird abatement is used primarily at agricultural, commercial and industrial locations. Examples of common locations are the following: airfields and hangers, refineries, warehouses, distributions centers, malls, resorts, landfills, city boardwalks, city and state beaches, vineyards, orchards, and blueberry farms.
Crops that are commonly protected include: grapes, apples, blueberries, cherries, and spinach.
Examples of birds that are commonly controlled are: pigeons, gulls, crows, magpies, grackles, starlings, cowbirds, blackbirds, finches, robins, sparrows, and cedar wax wings.
If you have an agricultural, commercial, or industrial location that is having bird issues, please reach out to our qualified bird abatement companies for more information and help.
