Bird on a wire

Pigeons pecking at grain in a town square or in flight as in this photograph make a pretty picture. What doesn't is the
mess they create wherever they congregate. So much so that municipality authorities have been forced to resort to
unconventional methods to control them. A few years ago while fears of bird flu were raging, the Dubai and Abu Dhabi municipalities resorted to tranquillising pigeons to try and reduce their numbers.

However, it didn't have much effect. But perhaps more than
disease, pigeons pose a nightmare when it comes to cleaning their droppings.

Enter Peter Bergh, a falconry expert. Bergh, who runs Shaheen Extreme Falconry based in Dubai, is the person to call if you want the birds off your property. His solution is simple: "We use falcons, pigeons' natural enemy, to scare off the birds," he says. Shaheen, like many other falconry services in Dubai, has a flock of birds trained to scare the pigeons off. But this does not involve killing. "Our falcons are trained to just scare them off," says Bergh.

"It's a highly skilled job, and the birds are really expensive."
With a team of falcons and handlers Bergh's Shaheen keeps the resort and spa on Baniyas Island, Abu Dhabi, clear of pigeons.

Such expert services are requisitioned by the government when required, as in airports. "We're professionals doing a job," says Bergh.

– Shiva Kumar Thekkepat, Feature Writer, Friday