Mexico City airport tries to scare off bird species
El Universal
Sábado 07 de enero de 2006
Miami Herald, página 1
Mexico City´s international airport has been using falcons and other birds of prey to scare off the large numbers of migratory birds that seek food and refuge at the facility and its surrounding area.
Four Harris hawks, two peregrine falcons, a European goshawk, as well as two dogs belonging to the pest-control company Fumiplag are being used at this airport, Mexico´s largest, to prevent hundreds of migratory birds from endangering flight operations.
The falconry manager of Fumiplag, Rafael Sánchez, told EFE in an interview that these "guardians" of the airspace are needed at all times to scare away birds that fly through the area year-round, posing a risk for pilots landing at or departing from the airport.
"Over the past three years, when we began this work, 60 different species of birds, mostly migratory, have been spotted, observed and scared off by our team," Sánchez said.
He added that the falcons and hawks also keep the rat and mouse population of the area under control, since, he said, "they are the main food source for the migratory birds." Two dogs especially trained to pursue rodents also help with that task.
Sánchez said the birds of prey do not tend to kill the various species of birds that migrate to the airport, but rather just frighten them off. He added that his team keeps the birds well fed so they do not need to hunt for food.
The Mexico City International Airport, where there are 870 daily arrivals and departures, is located in the northwestern part of the city near Lake Texcoco, a popular stopping-off point for the migratory birds that pass through the area.
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