Forum Topic

Weird post on NextDoor

Can this actually be true? I just saw this on NextDoor“Wandsworth council is flying a hawk in the Southfields West area to control the local bird population.” The post goes on a bit after that, but I can’t copy and paste, so haven’t included the rest of it.It’s not April Fools’ Day yet, is it? Surely it’s some sort of joke.

Catherine Schade ● 28d3 Comments

Yes, sometimes flown to keep pigeons off buildings which they and their droppings can cause damage to.

Philippa Bond ● 27d

I believe hawks are also used to patrol the area around Wimbledon when the tennis tournament is on.  It seems to work bc I don't think I have ever seen a pigeon fly onto the courts.

Sue Hammond ● 27d

It wouldnt be the first time.Was previously done, some years back, at the old burial ground in Wandsworth. There was a lady who daily spread many loaves of bread to feed the flying rats . They would perch on all buildings as feeding time approached then descend on mass as she appeared crapping over shoppers as they went and spreading their diseases.The hawk proved to be an effective deterrent.

Andy Pike ● 27d