hawks used to chase away pigeons in nyc

[blackdogdeek]

specifically in bryant park. plus one falcon. that would be pretty interesting to watch i would imagine. maybe even frightening for some of the lunch-goers.

article

Falconer Thomas Cullen, 51, was hired to let his trained Harris hawks scare pigeons out of the eight-acre patch of landscaped greenery. The Harris hawk, about 18 inches long with a 45-inch wing span, generally preys on small ground animals.

 

[teddymines]

We have hawks living near our house, and you know when they're flying overhead because the other birds go nuts. I've never seen one attack, but I have seen a blackbird go after what looked like a turkey vulture. The aerial combat stuff is cool to watch.

 

[damiano]

that's great
pigeon are like rats with wings
when are they sending alligators in the sewers to eat the rat

 

[loup garou]

I was walking through Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn yesterday and noticed signs saying there were peregrine falcons in the area. Cool.

Maybe I should go sit out in Bryant Park with my laptop and set up a webcam for you guys (there's a public wifi AP in Bryant Park).

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

but wouldn't a hawks poop be worse than the pigeon?

 

[blackdogdeek]

i watched a falconing demo in england once. pretty wild. the falconer released the falcon and it took off climbing and climbing to the point when we could only see a tiny speck in the sky. the falconer started swinging this piece of meat on a long string around in a huge circle and the tiny speck disappeared in a straight dive and right before it hit the ground it did a 90 degree turn right toward the meat and knocked it down to the ground.

 

[Ynog]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
but wouldn't a hawks poop be worse than the pigeon?

Ya if there were as many hawks as pigeons. But it only takes a few hawks to keep pigeons away.

 

[Alphazero]

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
i watched a falconing demo in england once. pretty wild. the falconer released the falcon and it took off climbing and climbing to the point when we could only see a tiny speck in the sky. the falconer started swinging this piece of meat on a long string around in a huge circle and the tiny speck disappeared in a straight dive and right before it hit the ground it did a 90 degree turn right toward the meat and knocked it down to the ground.

I've seen a few of those. Birds of prey are cool

 

[notfred]

Raptors are cool.