Hawk to help rid Billingham Town Centre of pigeons (courtesy of The Gazette)
1st October 2009
A GIANT hawk has been hired to help rid Billingham Town Centre of a long-running pigeon infestation.
Aggie the South American Harris Hawk swoops above the shopping precinct twice daily - scaring the pigeons from their perches.
And after just a few days of Aggie aggro, town centre managers are reporting a significant reduction in the flying pests.
Ian Hirst, property manager for Stockland, which owns the freehold on Billingham Town Centre, said pigeons have been a longstanding problem for the precinct.
He said: “Stockton Council tried for years to get rid of them. We spent £16,000 over the last two years on trapping to get rid of them, but it wasn’t working.
“Every time we had a six week session we ended up with hundreds of pigeons. We culled around 2,000, but they kept coming back.”
Then Ian heard about NBC Bird and Pest Control based in Billingham and gave them a call.
He was told about Aggie and her amazing pigeon clearing abilities - but admits he was dubious at first.
“I was desperate, so I thought I would give them a go, but I was amazed at how quickly she made an impact!”
After a few days, Aggie’s predatorial presence was already having a dramatic effect on the pigeon population, flying twice a day to deter the birds from settling.
Falconer Simon Hewison, from NBC Bird and Pest Control, said: “We’re not here to kill pigeons. Aggie’s role is as a deterrent. She keeps the pigeon’s unsettled so they eventually move on, and she’s doing a great job.”
Aggie’s exploits drew a small crowd in the town yesterday, with many people snapping her on their camera phones.
“The kids love her everywhere we go,” said Simon.
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