Hawks winning pigeon battle
The number of feral pigeons in Cannock town centre halved in a week after Harris hawks were brought in by the district council to scare them off.
The council commissioned NBC Bird & Pest Solutions, which has an office in Burntwood, to use hawks to tackle pigeons in Cannock and Rugeley town centres.
The council says that on Monday June 29 there were more than 100 pigeons in Cannock town centre but by Friday July 3 there were 50.
After a first week in Cannock hawks, Ernie and Leia, are in Rugeley town centre this week. From Monday they will make regular visits to both centres until the end of the month.
In Cannock last week, people were seen feeding pigeons, especially at lunchtime. From this Monday the council can issue £75 fines to anyone feeding pigeons in the town centre.
Feral pigeons have caused problems in both town centres, making buildings look unsightly and being blamed for posing a health risk as they often carry diseases.
The council says hawks are a natural and humane way of scaring pigeons but critics say they may scare away adult pigeons in the nesting season leaving youngsters to starve.
