Piccadilly Station's most unwanted commuters - and the thing they fear most
manchestereveningnews.co.ukHarris's hawk, also known as the wolf hawk, hovers above desert lowlands, savannah and wetlands, and perches on power poles and in trees, ready to swoop on prey.
It can be found in North and South America. But now two Harris's hawks have been spotted in the bustling, busy, concourse, and platforms of Manchester's Piccadilly Station.
The pair have been drafted in to put the wind up the pigeons that have increased in numbers - due to the easy pickings from sandwich crumbs and other tit-bits dropped by commuters.
The birds are handled by hawker, Wayne Wrigley, who works for Rentokil. "Using falcons is the best option - it is a non-lethal option," he says. READ MORE: 'It's simply the wrong approach': The fight to save Manchester's historic warehouses will begin next week READ MORE: Inside Manchester's re-opened historic landmark that has been restored to its former glory "The pigeons are spooked by the falcons as you are introducing a natural predator to the area, and it pushes the population elsewhere," Wayne adds. "We are using two Harris's hawks, a male and a female, two good natured birds who don't mind being around the public too much.
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