If you go down to Lamby Way Depot, you might just meet one of our more unusual team members – our feathered friends, the Harris Hawks. It is not every workplace that has birds of prey on the roster, so we had a chat with the Falconer to find out a little more…
Why are there Hawks on duty at the landfill?
The hawk was originally brought in for seagull control of the landfill. As the landfill closed to active waste the HAWK moved toward the MRF section of Lamby Way, as the seagulls specifically fed off the glass. Some measure of bird control is required under Lamby way Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control permit.
How much ground can your Hawk cover before needing to back to the handler?
The landfill gives off enough heat it can generate its own thermal current, because of this the hawk can stay aloft using very little energy for over an hour at a time.
Why do we still rely on a Hawk to do this job in the twenty first century?
The hawk is simply the best tool for the job, the profile of the Hawk is hard wired into seagulls to cause fear and the hawk can pursue seagulls in a way no man or technology could.
What type of breed is the Hawk?
At the moment Lamby way has two Harris Hawks permanently on site. When the landfill was fully operational there was two additional Saka Falcons which was much smaller and faster and as a result very dangerous if you’re seagull!
Published: | 28/06/2017 |
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