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Soaring cost of hawks to scare pigeons from Trafalgar Square
Emma Rowley21.09.09
The cost of flying a hawk to scare pigeons away from Trafalgar Square has soared to almost £60,000 a year.
The bird of prey is flown daily for up to four hours as part of efforts introduced by former mayor Ken Livingstone to disperse birds he dubbed "flying rats".
Since the scheme started in July 2003, a total of £354,829 has been spent on hawks and 130 pigeons have been killed. This equates to £2,729 spent per dead bird.
Figures released to the Standard show that in the last financial year the scheme cost £59,020.
Mike Tuffrey, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, said: "A hawk that costs the taxpayer more than £50,000 a year is a staggering amount. Alternative ways must be found, such as nesting prevention and chemical contraception in feed. Most Londoners will certainly welcome the reduced nuisance in Trafalgar Square, but the Mayor must find a far more cost-effective way to tackle the problem."
Feral pigeon numbers have dropped from about 4,000 to the present 120 to 140.
Julia Fletcher, of the Pigeon Action Group, which campaigns for the birds' welfare, said: "What it's doing with taxpayers' money is actually performing blood sports in Trafalgar Square.
"It's totally unnecessary, not only because of the costs to the taxpayer, but because it's not going to drive the pigeons away." Numbers had fallen, she argued, because they had been "starved out of existence" after feeding them in the square was banned.
A hawk does not prevent the pigeons returning, she said, because the birds are creatures of habit and always return home. The GLA pays for 75per cent of the cost and Westminster city council meets the rest. A GLA spokesman said increased spending reflected "the provision necessary to reduce the population". Cutting pigeon numbers had "improved the décor, safeguarded priceless cultural icons and created a cleaner and healthier environment".
For this financial year, more than £25,000 has been spent up to the end of last month, suggesting the total could top last year's figure.
The highest cost so far was £78,241 for 2003/04, but the Greater London Authority said that was because it was the first full year of the control programme.
The spending covers the contractor's costs for transport to the square and the hawk's handler. Usually two Harris hawks are delivered each day, although only one is flown at a time. Wardens also patrol the square to stop people feeding the pigeons.
Reader views (13)
Sky,
Peregrines are colonising London quite naturally; their numbers are steadily increasing as a result of better pesticide regulation and reduced persecution. Cities provide perfect nesting places for them - tall buildings make great cliff substitutes and there is a plentiful supply of one of ther favourite foods - feral pigeons. Increasing predator numbers indicates a healthy prey population. If you're worrying about the welfare of individual birds (or their treatment through history), spare a thought for the generations of poisoned peregrines and be grateful that these magnificent birds are managing to make a comeback!
- Cw, London
Do none of you morons realise that pigeons carry disease and are a health hazard. I am much happier knowing I can walk through the square with my kids without being pooped on! I say a big WELL DONE to the hawk handlers who are helping to make London a much cleaner city to enjoy.
- Caroline, essex
The pigeons were one of the main attractions for me.Trafalgar square was known for it for many years,and its just not the same without them,by all means control the numbers,but dont erradicate one of londons famous attractions,it almost criminal.
- Paul Hobbs, liverpool
the idea of a peregrine in the towns is the silliest yet.
the peregrine is not native to it, and you would be only playing about with nature, i have been around churches and tall buildings and seen first hand the mess these perigrine birds make of the sand stone, with there crap i have Oslo found at least 500 pigeon ring at them sites, these birds belong to some poor bloke, maybe his wifes or sons there favorite birds, and it lies around the steps of the church feathers and bones and they are eaten alive, never gave them much thought the pigeons till i discovered they won 38 dickens medal for bravery no other amimal has more than the pigeon, and these same birds that the Londoners kick and gloat in there demise is simply shocking the pigeons that they mock could be the very same ones descended, that saved there grandparents during the war
wake up london its part of your history give the bird the help they need now
- Sky, northlanarkshire Scotland
I see the comments on how to get rid of the pigeons, but why get rid of them. there as been pigeons in the square since the square was built. people as always fed them and people come from all over just to see them. so if the pigeons aint there ,tourists wouldnt come to see them and london would loose money.so why not just leave them alone and let people feed and enjoy the birds,and for them that dont like the birds ,they should visit another part of london.
- Mike, witney
Well that gives a great view of London to visiting tourists doesn't it, allowing hawks to kill pigeons on open view. There are other more humane methods to conrol numbers as has already been suggested without resorting to open violence of animal kind.
- Jeanette Taylor, Manchester UK
Spot on, Mark: do birds of prey need a paid handler? All they want is a safe nesting spot. It's not the birds that are costing the money!If there's a handler for hire, they should tour the railway bridges of London, clearing out the pigeon hotspots, which are squalid health hazards. They may be birds of habit, but they are also birds with a memory, and can be deterred.
- Mdj E10, london uk
I'll pop down with my shotgun every evening for 50 pounds! That would be a third of the cost and no chance of the 'creatures of habit' returning.....
- Mark, London
Surely the point that is totally missed in the article and comments is the cost saved by using the hawks. Surely the reduction in cleaning up pigeon droppings from the pavements and buildings has resulted in a cost reduction far far greater than £60,000? Surely that is where the real, rather than reactionary focus should be?
- James, London
Couldn't we get Boris to stand in the middle of the square?
He could do with the extra 60 grand as the Mayor's salary clearly isn't enough to negate the need for second and third jobs.
His unique and finest qualification for the role, is his sartorial inetitude, which means that he looks like a scarecrow whatever he's wearing.
He could ride around on his bike, flapping his arms and shouting out entire latin or Greek texts, thereby ensuring that the square is not only free of pidgeons, but also full of tourists flocking to see our very own village idiot.
- Fresh, London
The pigeons were a part of London's heritage, and a tourist attraction in their own right. Ken Livingstone destroyed another part of this city's character and history by getting rid of them and allowing yobs and drunks to congregate in the square by removing the road around it. Boris was elected because he promised a return to London of the past when it was beautiful and respectable so I hope he removes the hawk saving us money and returns the square to what it was before.
- Sarah, London
Surely a cheaper option would be to get Ken Livingstone to squawk and flap around Trafalgar Square? He's proved he's very good at flapping and making lots of noise about nothing, he's also at a bit of a loose end at the moment, although if we figure in expenses for his cronies it'll probably work out at 15 times the figure so maybe not.
- Bob, Cheam
Maybe a better deterrent would be improving the environment of the square to encourage Peregrine Falcons to nest there?
- Mark, London
