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Al Hurr Falconry: Serving the skies

A falcon can fly faster than anything in the planet without an engine. It can kill birds as much as six times its size, and has vision eight times sharper than the human eye. It’s little wonder, then, that birds that are staples of its dining options have learned to fear it.

But this might surprise you: even pigeons that have never seen a falcon in their lives will fly scared at the shape of one in the sky.

Al Hurr Falconry Services co-founder David Stead says despite there being no wild falcons in the UAE, the country’s pigeons know the score.

“Birds have this built in innate fear of the falcon shape.”

Pigeons are perfectly calm in the face of an eagle — which traditionally does not prey on them. However: “You put a falcon in the sky over a flock of pigeons who have never even seen a falcon… they see that shape and they go ballistic.”

SKY WARRIORS... “If you need an environment that is clear of pigeons, then falconry is really the only way to go,” says David Stead (holding falcon Bandit) who, along with Nicola Ohlenforst, founded Al Hurr Falconry. — KT photo by Amanda Fisher

Similar to humans’ often irrational fear of spiders as opposed to power lines, which are on balance much more deadly, Stead says this cuts to the core of a delightful phenomenon.

“It’s got to be anecdotal evidence of genetic memory.”

This principle works on the basis that over expanses of generations, behavioural responses can actually become part of the genetic code.

And it is this feature of science that Stead is exploiting for much of his business.

The lifelong passionate falconer has been working in the UAE for 15 years, but in the industry all of his working life.

Falconry started his hobby as a youngster growing up on the East African plains, before it was honed at boarding school in the UK.

“I’ve been obsessed with raptors in particular… since I was tiny. For me, my heroes were falconers and Spiderman. I still love Spiderman but the falcons definitely took over a wee bit.”

He founded Al Hurr in 2001 with partner Nicola Ohlenforst, the operations manager. The company is made up of a core of five dedicated falconphiles, who are experts in their field. And while the company offers advisory services to wildlife centres, tourism falconry to tour companies, and has even provided a falcon for a music video, the main thrust of what they do is not what you’re expecting: pest control.

It might sound odd, but don’t start picturing men in white suits and gas masks in a white Toyota Hiace. If anything, the company’s 20 falcons are the most important employees — the falconers their chauffeurs.

“We offer pigeon control specifically. Our falcons are trained to work at clearing populations of pigeons. We cannot clear common or garden birds, even if we wanted to… a little sparrow knows a big falcon won’t touch it.

“What we do is glorified pest control,” the animated Stead smiles.

Facilities suffering a pigeon problem or infestation “inevitably in the hospitality area” will call Al Hurr, who then come and fly a falcon overhead four to five days a week, on a yearly basis. Among their clients are most of Dubai’s major hotels, such as the Burj Al Arab — but you will never know it. The action happens so far overhead, that it passes unnoticed.

“We instil in the pigeon population the idea that the falcon lives there, so why endanger your life by being there… we don’t catch pigeons, our job is to make them someone else’s problem, frankly. Which sounds a bit Mafiosi,” Stead smiles.

Being one of those masses who rarely get a glimpse behind the scenes of Dubai’s polished hospitality industry it was a surprise to learn the extent of this pigeon pandemonium, but it appears the bane of the hospitality industry.

Pigeons are urban birds, adapted to the human population and have figured out where the going’s good.

“In hotels… there is fresh water, food, shade, AC ducts pumping…if I was a pigeon I’d live there.”

While this may sound harmless enough, pigeons can’t help but make their presence — and droppings — felt.

“They’re whitewashing the place and making a mess. They’re a health hazard and an aesthetic hazard.”

Stead’s team don’t ever touch a pigeon, just act as a disincentive for the population to stay in their current lodgings.

“They’ll disappear to wherever. We’re not talking about numbers in the thousands here…for some facilities one pigeon is one pigeon too many.”

But this almost-daily commitment seems quite an undertaking, surely there are other options?

Spikes, horns, ultrasonics, in some countries (not the UAE) bait and poison; but Stead says nothing works quite like a falcon.

“If you need an environment that is clear of pigeons, then falconry is really the only way to go. If you’ve got 1,000 pigeons and you wouldn’t mind if you only had 100, you wouldn’t use me - you use spikes… but to pigeon-proof a hotel with spikes it’s going to look like a porcupine when you’re done.”

But the falconry needs persistence or within three months the population has expanded rapidly with different pigeons taking residence in the newly-vacant luxurious lodgings.

Stead and his team spend their lives playing servant to the 20-strong fleet of falcons — historically the act of falconry was referred to as ‘serving’.

“They have this holier than though attitude, they know who’s in charge and I promise you it’s not us.”

Stead says he is drawn to the birds’ “primal” arrogance, that comes from knowing they are apex predators on top of the food chain.

“They have this arrogance, it’s regal… it’s better than nobility, it’s brutality. They have this elegant brutality about them, they are absolutely glorious, but for 17 seconds every other day in the wild state they’re just shocking creatures and then the rest of the time they’re exquisite.”

Stead, clearly a man of complexities himself, is drawn to the “dichotomy” of the placid birds when they are catching their prey.

“It’s a terrible contradiction about them, it’s true of all predators in their own way. I think raptors for me encompass it more than the big cats or the reptiles or the sharks of the world for example, because I do see their expression.”

Unlike other apex predators like lions and tigers, falcons live solitary lives.

“They’re complete lone wolves as it were it the wild state, they only come together for the breeding season and even then there’s not a great deal of respect there.”

The female bird is a third bigger than the male.

“If she doesn’t like him then he’s in trouble, I mean big, big trouble… as soon as the (mating) season’s over, the male splits.”

So how does Stead coax a workable relationship out of this aloof royalty of the sky?

“The trick is not to overcomplicate things...it’s really quite straightforward”

He describes the birds as “snakes with feathers”.

“It’s just about understanding their basic needs and desires. Life is tough in the falcon world and regular feeding, shelter and watering is an attractive prospect.”

Stead has only had one falcon in his life he hasn’t been able to train — and even then, he thinks he would have got there if he’d had time on his side.

“They are remarkable animals and we are extremely blessed to be around them on a daily basis and have them in our lives. They’re a lot of work, a lot of effort (but) they’re not as difficult to live with and deal with as falconers would tend to like you to believe.”

Watching Stead as he interacts with his prize employees, his respect and affection is evident. What they feel back will never quite be known, but one things is clear: Stead has been accepted. They are content to let their servant tend to their needs, for now.

amanda@khaleejtimes.com

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