41 replies to this topic

[birdhacker]

Will this really help keep thousands of seagulls away?


http://deadspin.com/...d-secret-weapon

[johnnybirder]

I find this very funny. Hopefully it will work but i don't want to be at a game and the red-tailed spook the gulls.

[goofy166]

Great article but I have real doubts a single Red-shouldered Hawk visiting a ball game every few days is going to be a deterrent to seagulls. These are tough birds. Am I wrong?

Mitch

PS I pinned this because I am really interested in what people think about this. The Giants are my home team.

[Platypus]

I'm with you Mitch. I don't think this'll put a big dent in the problem, but it's neat at least. As an aside - do Giants fans see the gulls as problem, or is it just team ownership and management?

[ColoTomo]

Great article but I have real doubts a single Red-shouldered Hawk visiting a ball game every few days is going to be a deterrent to seagulls. These are tough birds. Am I wrong?

Mitch

PS I pinned this because I am really interested in what people think about this. The Giants are my home team.

Anectodally, I can see some serious affects that one little sharp-shinned hawk hanging around does to my backyard bird feeding. The birds know when raptors are around, and behave accordingly.

Apparently the gulls and pigeons used to show up after the game, but since have started showing up around 7th inning, pooping on fans being the primary complaint.

"Bruce Lee" (very funny name for a Red-tailed Hawk) is in fact a decent sized Red-tailed Hawk who would have no problem at the very least spooking seagulls.

Seems like it could work, as long as they are consistent. But if they go more than a couple days without the raptor, it probably won't work

[creeker]

Really, the team can't afford a falconer? Major League Baseball, notorious for high salaries and wasting money? That amazes me. How much could a falconer cost? Also, don't these guys have iphones? C'mon, google Red-tailed Hawk nesting habits so you don't "build a nest box on one of it's favorite poles" that it will never use. I haven't seen a Red-tailed Hawk try to catch and eat a gull. I'd be surprised if one did. I have seen them hunt down pigeons (I described the process in a different thread,) but pigeons are not bright birds and will keep coming back to the slaughter. The team would be better off educating the fans on why the gulls and pigeons are there in the first place, and provide more receptacles for them to put uneaten food in. Cut out the food source, and the birds will leave.

[ColoTomo]

Really, the team can't afford a falconer? Major League Baseball, notorious for high salaries and wasting money? That amazes me. How much could a falconer cost?

LOL, but true. So I looked it up, and that information is not easy to find. I found one source that said Falconers charge (on average) $50-$60/hr
http://www.organicco...lcons110203.cfm. But not sure that would include all the extra taxes and fees you get in the SF Bay area. Another source (sorry, lost it) claimed that the falcon birds had to be flown 20 times per day to be effective (not sure how accurate, looked like an "unscientific opinion"). But, if true, I could see the owners feeling that the problem was not worth the cost of that solution.

The team would be better off educating the fans on why the gulls and pigeons are there in the first place, and provide more receptacles for them to put uneaten food in. Cut out the food source, and the birds will leave.

This of course would solve the problem -- but unfortunately for the Giants owners, would never happen. This would be as likely has having people clean up all their stuff in a movie theater when the movie was over. Ha ha !

[jblakelock]

I've been to several Giants games and gulls have never seemed to be a problem. I see them mostly flying around and occasionally one might land on the field, but I've never seen them in the stands.

[ColoTomo]

jblakelock,

If you watch the video at the bottom of this link:http://www.csnbayare...740&feedID=2539

you can see gulls in the giants stadium in the stands eating meat, bread, nachos, even one looked like he was going for a drink of wine !

[DianeD]

The gulls are amazing. We suspect they can read the scoreboard since they seem to show up in the 7th inning, when they hang out and cheer for every out that brings the game closer to an end, and to their dinner time. There are so many of them I can't imagine one predator scaring them all away.

They are part of the Giants experience, as near as I can tell, but maybe they are more of a problem to the facilities folks, and maybe to the grounds crew and outfielders.


106_3464 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr



106_3467 by Twotonetuna22, on Flickr

[goofy166]

The gulls are amazing. We suspect they can read the scoreboard since they seem to show up in the 7th inning, when they hang out and cheer for every out that brings the game closer to an end, and to their dinner time. There are so many of them I can't imagine one predator scaring them all away.

They are part of the Giants experience, as near as I can tell, but maybe they are more of a problem to the facilities folks, and maybe to the grounds crew and outfielders.

Diane this had me LMAO. I want to thank you and everyone else who responded so far to this post from James. Its really enlightening in so many ways.

[spookyjimjams]

I think they must read the scoreboard too...or either that or they understand the 7th inning stretch...because that's when they mob the stadium. For however many thousands show up though, I have never seen them get too aggressive until the fans are leaving. SF has its fair share of Peregrines, that's what they should be trying to attract.

[JimBob]

Yeah, if I had to pick a falcon (hawk) to scare off gulls and pigeons I would pick a Cooper's Hawk or a Peregrine Falcon. The eat a lot of birds.

::Edit:: Or a Northern Goshawk, but I think the like Grouse.

[creeker]

Yeah, if I had to pick a falcon (hawk) to scare off gulls and pigeons I would pick a Cooper's Hawk or a Peregrine Falcon. The eat a lot of birds.

Red-tailed is actually not a bad choice, despite popular belief..........

http://www.whatbird....=1

[yep]

Giants operations director Jorge Costa....

I wonder if he ever gets confused for former Yankees employee George Costanza.

[JimBob]

I meant for falcons. . .

[Joejr14]

I haven't seen a Red-tailed Hawk try to catch and eat a gull. I'd be surprised if one did. I have seen them hunt down pigeons (I described the process in a different thread,) but pigeons are not bright birds and will keep coming back to the slaughter.

I've seen it numerous times. Our resident pair at work take out herring and ring billed frequently.

[creeker]

I've seen it numerous times. Our resident pair at work take out herring and ring billed frequently.

Awesome! Good to know!

[Liam]

I almost flagged this thread for spam when I saw the title.

[JimBob]

I almost flagged this thread for spam when I saw the title.

I did too.