Birds of prey with licence not to kill at Scottish Parliament

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 21:51

BIRDS of prey have been brought in to scare away pigeons that have plagued the Scottish Parliament.

The 44,000 contract will see seven birds tackle the problem in a two-pronged attack – but under a "no kill policy".

Hawks will first flush out the pigeons from the various hidden corners of the Holyrood building in Edinburgh.

Falcons flying overhead should then finish the job by frightening them away.

Ian Cain, of NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, said the birds, including three hybrid peregrine falcons, three Harris hawks and one lanner falcon, would not kill the pigeons.

"None of these birds has ever killed another bird," he said.

"They're trained specifically for bird control and don't see pigeons as a source of food. The pigeons should be dispersed to other areas, but over time it will reach an equilibrium because there are only a small number of sites around here they can compete for."

The seven birds took in their new surroundings at Holyrood yesterday as agitated seagulls circled overhead.

The youngest bird is one year old, and the oldest – named after former Scottish footballer Archie Gemmell for his "skill on the wing" – is aged four.

The pest control firm, which has bases across the UK, already controls pigeon populations at Hampden Park, the National Galleries and major oil company headquarters in Aberdeen.

At Holyrood, a shelter will be built to house the birds while on duty but they will stay overnight with falconers in Crieff and Edinburgh.

Previous pest control measures costing an estimated 35,000, including netting and metal spikes, have been unsuccessful.

The latest measure has been criticised as cruel, with calls to explore alternative solutions.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said: "I would suggest that asking hawks not to kill pigeons is like telling foxes not to kill chickens. No-one wants any creature to suffer, so let's put up with the pigeons or we approach the problem from another angle. Frankly I don't think having pigeons around is the end of the world."

Ross Minett, campaigns director for Advocates for Animals, said: "There are other methods of non-lethal control – which have been suggested to the parliament – that have yet to be explored."

Independent MSP Margo McDonald, who first suggested bringing in the birds of prey, said: "The smell from the pigeons has been absolutely disgusting and really atrocious in the summer. We even had to close off an air vent after someone found poo and feathers on their desk.

A Scottish Parliament spokeswoman said: "By using these birds of prey we hope to see a reduction in the money spent on external cleaning."