Urban Falconry in Portland | Challenges with winter crow migrations in cities | Oregon Field Guide

There's definitely some confusion in the comments here. Let's clear up a few things. 1) Yes, crows are known to pick on raptors, typically trying to steal food from a bird with a meal. The difference here is that the hawks are on more level footing in that they don't have a meal to defend, and the crows are just interested in getting some rest. As an analogy, me and my friends may be able to jump a guy stuffing his face on a park bench and take his wallet, but if he pulls his car up to my house and blasts a stereo in the window, we aren't going to be able to sleep. 2) The object here is not to kill the crows. Other birds are better-suited to that particular mission, and that creates issues by itself. The goal here is to push the crows into areas where they are less intrusive, like using sheepdogs to herd a flock into a barn so they don't wreck a pasture. 3) In the strictest sense of the word, this is not falconry. That would require a falcon(not a hawk), and a true hunt. This is more bird abatement. However, for every average Joe out there, and every falconer who is not a stuck-up prick stuck on the most narrow interpretation of the term, this absolutely can be considered falconry. 4) Using raptors to deter nuisance birds in city centres is not new or novel. Back in the 60s, a pesticide called DDT was determined to be interfering with the population of peregrine falcons, putting them on the endangered list. Many cities set up nesting sites in their core areas, as the buildings and streets closely mimicked the canyon environments the falcons naturally used. This had the side effect of driving these birds out of those areas, and some cities continued to maintain those nesting sites after the falcon population had begun to recover, specifically for that reason. As of 2009, when I lived in the city of Calgary, there were still peregrine falcons nesting downtown to deter crows and pigeons and such from moving in.

What is cool about Harris hawks is that they hunt in packs unlike other hawks and falcons.

That is totally brilliant. Way to go Portland.

Thank you portland, very cool.

This is freekin awesome! 👍👍🐦

Lol. It's just portland.. someone walking around with a Paris hawk.. lol. Yep. I've seen weirder things in Portland.

The opening sequence looked straight out of the Hitchcock movie, "The Birds". I love this movie and any other Hitchcock movie. I love falconry too.

Very cool

Well done I breed Harris hawks in England good job there

I applaud Portland's approach to pest management, but it isn't new and certainly isn't novel.

“So much so...there was just shit everywhere” 😂

That is pretty damn cool!

Set up roosting sites and introduce Peregrine Falcons.

Weird, here in California I always see 3 or 4 crows ganging up hawks all the time. Here in the bay area crows are assholes. Ive seen them try to knock off a squirrel off a tree.

Hahahahaha I love raptors and all falcon's, but the simple fact these dudes have crow patrol vests on is absolutely hilarious.

I hear nothing but good things about Portland.... even the hipster jokes are great

I would be worried that the crows would gang up on the hawk and kill it. It happens all the time when theres a large flock of them.

What about create some nest for urban raptors? It could be a great support to dimish the crow poppulation

Very good, in Island Madeira (Island were Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 was born) we will start a new project like this, to drive away the piegons of the city if Harris Hawks: D Good Jobbbbb

Look how beautiful Portland used to be...