Wing & a prayer for pigeons

Published in the Evening Standard

A magnificent Harris Hawk has been employed to scare the vermin away from Victoria Station but his presence is causing consternation among environmentalists.

Railtrack, faced with a worsening problem of pigeon mess, has employed pest controller David Van Vynck on an annual contract, who uses a hawk called Nelson to disperse the birds.

London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals, confronted Railtrack’s head of customer service, Marcus Long asking whether he knew that “these birds of prey actually kill pigeons”.

Mr Long replied he was aware of that but in this case the hawk was only frightening away the pigeons which were causing a nuisance to passengers and staff.

Ms Lloyd said that chasing pigeons away pushed the problem elsewhere in the capital, and that the best way of dealing with the issue was to put the pigeons on the contraceptive pill.

It was then that Mr Long, bristling his official feathers, answered: “Dear Madam,I don’t think that Railtrack is in the business of dishing out contraceptives to the pigeons.

Beside, there is no proof that it would work.” Other commuters were more favourable towards Nelson, including ITV Motor racing presenter Kirsty Westwood.

“Pigeons can be a dreadful pest,” she said, “they scare passengers waiting for trains when they swoop down low. The hawk seems like a good deterrent and a pretty humane way of dealing with the problem.

Railtrack is talking action against the pigeon problem following complaints from the public at Victoria, Paddington and Liverpool Street.

Almost a quarter of a million passengers pass through every day and the pigeons flock in vast numbers at peak periods.

The problem has been exacerbated by the increase in the number of take-away outlets, which has meant more food and rubbish is thrown on the ground.

Mr long said “We’ve tried putting up nets in the glass roofs and spikes on the ledges to stop them roosting. They work to a point, but the hawk has proved the best method for keeping them away.”

On the topic of using contraceptives as other authorities do he added: “it’s too much of a scatter gun solution.

It’s self-defeating because you attract the birds in the first place.” Mike Everett, spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: “Pigeons can be at it every month of the year and lay two eggs everytime. The best way to control them is to remove the food and stop them roosting.

To find out more please view our bird control pages.