Frequent falcon flights to prevent problem pigeons at University of Canterbury

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The University of Canterbury will fly a native New Zealand falcon (kārearea) above its Ilam campus to naturally deter pest birds, the first time a University has adopted such a tactic.

Marlborough Falcon Trust handlers Vikki Smith and Rob Lawry will begin free-flying a specially bred one-year-old kārearea – as featured on the $20 banknote – to help reduce UC’s pigeon population. Tappe, named for Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku, was bred by the Trust from injured captive falcons unable to survive in the wild.

UC is taking this positive action to address the problematic presence of large numbers of pigeons in a natural way that also supports a rare native bird species.

Tappe has been trained to complete territorial flights around the campus to scare flocks of pigeons from the University’s buildings and away from the campus.

UC students and staff will be treated to regular falcon-flying displays as Tappe patrols his territory. Seeing a kārearea flying regularly at UC will also be an opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of New Zealand falcons.

Kārearea are rare, with only an estimated 6000 birds left. Their habit of sitting on high perches looking for prey makes them difficult to spot in the wild, and there are very few places in New Zealand that display native falcons.

Kārearea are one of New Zealand’s most spectacular native birds, extremely fast and agile. Prior to human arrival in New Zealand, almost all of their natural diet was birds. The presence of birds such as kārearea scares potential prey birds and they leave the area.

Kārearea are a natural predator to pigeons. The pigeon’s innate predator defence is avoidance and escape. The presence of large flocks of pest birds, such as pigeons leads to problems from their large volumes of droppings. Where pigeon numbers are high, buildings and paths are defaced and deteriorate more rapidly, and the spread of disease increases.

Birds of prey are used around the world for bird control, particularly around airports. These birds are trained to fly to a lure, rather than capture birds. This predator-prey relationship is a completely natural way of discouraging the presence of unwanted birds.

UC falcon research and conservation

The University of Canterbury (UC) has a history of research into kārearea - the New Zealand falcon which graces New Zealand’s $20 note.

Nick Fox obtained his PhD from UC in 1977 with his detailed study of kārearea in Marlborough. In addition to his thesis, Fox wrote a number of papers relating to falcons, including one on the distribution of kārearea and an estimate of numbers of breeding pairs. Fox established the Falcons for Grapes project in 2005. This programme reintroduced falcons to the Wairau Plains of Marlborough.

UC researcher Sara Kross studied many aspects relating to this relocation of falcons, earning her PhD from UC in 2012 as well as publishing a number of scientific articles. She found that the country’s only remaining endemic bird of prey is a perfect match for vineyard pest control. Kross is an advisor to the Marlborough Falcon Trust (MFT).

Introducing Tappe

Hatched in an incubator along with his two siblings, Tappe is the chick of two Marlborough falcons. Both Tappe’s sibling chicks were released in January 2015. Tappe’s father, Napoleon, is blind in one eye and his mother, Sara, has survived a broken tail and damage to her cere (the fleshy skin above the beak). Neither of this breeding pair could survive in the wild. Together, however, they have successfully bred for the past three years that the MFT breeding programme has been operational.

As a chick, Tappe showed early promise and was surprisingly comfortable around humans. At two months old, he began his training as an advocacy falcon to assist with MFT’s educational goals. Tappe relocated to Canterbury in September 2015 and commenced training with his handlers, Vikki Smith, a UK-trained falconer, and Rob Lawry, who has a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Canterbury.

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