Harris’s buzzards trained to scare away pigeons and gulls above the terraces of a large hotel

“It’s a Harris buzzard, from America, which flies in intervention at the Martinez gardens. The goal is to keep pigeons and gulls as far away as possible from the tables”explains falconer Killian Martel to the magazine “1:15 p.m. on Saturday” (replay).

“There are problems with these species because they come to help themselves on the plates when we don’t feed them”, specifies the one who works in Cannes, in the Alpes-Maritimes. The bird of prey takes off from its master’s arm to rush at the birds that it scares away for the greatest peace of mind of consumers.

“Clients find it chic and elegant”

Does the buzzard ever not come back? “It hasn’t happened yet but nothing prevents it from happening. It’s still them who decide… Well, I’ll try to get her to drink…” Killian goes to the bar with his raptor who quenches his thirst in a glass of water. Its falcons work in urban, industrial and hotel environments, to which they have adapted.

Yann Gillet, the director of the Martinez hotel, explains the approach: “We tried everything: ultrasounds, cats… The only thing that really works against gulls and pigeons are buzzards. There is also this little ecological touch with a certain respect for the animal because it there’s no poisoning. It’s just nature working. And there’s an appeal to the clientele who find it relatively chic and elegant.”

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