Posted on 03/22/2022 1:48:59 PM PDT by SJackson
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - They look harmless enough, perched on top of rooftops, soaking up some Arizona sun. But make no mistake, pigeons have a lot of friends and they don’t play nice. Pigeons are a serious problem in communities across the Valley. That’s where “Tony Hawk” comes in. The majestic bird is an expert in catching pigeons.
Bladen Benson is the owner of Desert Kings Falconry, a bird control business in the Phoenix area that specializes in removing pigeons from your property. “A lot of companies out here use poisons or cages, or other traps to catch them and remove them,” said Benson. “That’s all human work. It’s humane, but you can’t get more natural than this.”
Benson and his hawks will show up at any apartment complex, HOA, or office building to get rid of the unwanted flying pests, one at a time. “The young birds, they tend to bring back 5-6 pigeons per night when they first start,” said Benson. “Tony here can do about 15-20 pigeons in about 2-3 hours, depending on how many he is doing that night .”
“We have 8 birds, so if each bird is bringing back 15-20 pigeons a night, we’re doing right now about 1,200 pigeons a month for certain properties like this,” said Benson. He said each pigeon they catch is “put down” in a humane fashion, then fed to the hawks as food. AZFamily followed along one night to watch Benson and his birds do their thing at a Tempe apartment complex.
The hawks only work at night, when the sun is down and the pigeons are sleeping. Benson will flash a light on the pigeons to show their location, then the hawk goes to work. “We’ll actually find the pigeons for them,” said Benson. “Once we find the pigeon, we’ll spot it, and they’ll grab it and bring it back to us .”
In some communities, the hawks have removed hundreds, even thousands of pigeons over a six-month period. Bladen understands that not everyone will approve of the way his hawks operate, but the way he sees it, it’s “just hawks being hawks” as nature intended.
“They’re not hurting anybody, people love them, they love seeing them,” said Benson. “They are very gentle. We hang out with these guys all day at resorts, flying up and catching pigeons, then bringing them back. No better way than that.” According to Benson, the cost to hire the hawks ranges from $200 to $100,000, for some resorts and college campuses. It all depends on many pigeons there are and how long it will take to get rid of them.
I’ve got a friend who captures young hawks and trains them
He keeps thema couple years and has to turn them loose
That’s the tennessee law
He trains them feeding and hitting dummies rabbits on a tether and then in time free flight
They always come back for that raw chicken ..lol
They wil land and walk into their roost
When they fully mature he takes them out miles away and let’s them go
They are fully equipped to hunt on their own
None have honed back though he did return to the field of one and it spotted his truck and landed on his truck bed and he fed it a Big Mac
They are so majestic and affectionate when fed and happy
They will nuzzle him ...
Of course they can also claw your eyes out or tear your neck open
A big one can kill a fox or small coyote and yes they do kill Yorkies
I don’t let my chihuahua out in my from five acres without me
She’s a meal on paws to a mature hawk and I’ve got several,
Natures fun trick is when u see group of mockingbirds chasing off a hawk bent on egg or chick robbing
It’s like spitfires on a stutka
Gives hawks fits
The falcons are considered the fastest creature on earth. Their speed in the air is well over 200 mph.
The perfect bird of prey to eliminate your pigeon problems.
I love watching hawks circling in the sky. It is a thing of beauty; they float on outstretched wings, soaring above it all. One of my favorite birds. I live in a FL coastal town, and there are lots of hawks all over the place here. A feast for the eyes. For the pigeons, not so much a feast as a meal ticket.
But I’m still partial to flycatchers… 😏
Ping
I saw a small hawk kill our biggest hen. It could not have been even 1/4 the weight of the hen.
“Yes, hawks are a joy to watch.
But I’m still partial to flycatchers… 😏”
LOL, yes I thought you are very appropriately named to be on this particular thread.
Haha! A mockingbird should know better than to mock a cat!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
