Holyrood's PR fears over hawks tucking into pigeon

SCOTTISH Parliament bosses were warned that bringing in birds of prey to scare off pigeons could result in a "PR disaster" if the hawks began eating them alive in front of schoolchildren.

But it was suggested the parliament could "play up" the potential health risks associated with pigeons in a bid to win support for using the birds of prey.

The parliament announced last month that it had agreed a four-year falconry contract – costing £13,000 for the first year – to tackle the pigeon menace which has plagued the £414 million Holyrood building since it opened in 2004. Officials emphasised at the time that the hawks or falcons would be used to deter pigeons, not kill them. But documents released under freedom of information show there were concerns about the move.

In a report before the decision was made, parliament officials warned, under a section headed The Risks: "Several councils abandoned hawking when the hawks caught pigeons and began eating them in front of the public.

"As a wild animal there is no absolute guarantee the hawk would not attack and kill a pigeon. The hawks eat their prey while still alive. This would be a PR disaster if it happened in front of the school next to the parliament or perhaps at the public entrance."

Concluding there was evidence that hawking worked, the report said: "There are risks of negative publicity from animal rights groups, but perhaps by playing up the potential public health risks and by careful handling from MRO (Media Relations Office), this could be managed."

The documents also reveal that a four-week trial using birds of prey in the summer may not have been as successful as parliament officials claimed.

A report assessing the use of three different birds – a red-tailed hawk, a Harris hawk and a Saker falcon – said: "Both hawks were successful in flying to high points.

"The red tail was good at getting into some of the nooks and crannies, but often had problems on landing, failing to stop, and on one occasion flew into the windows of the Members' Restaurant."

The report also noted that care had to be taken because of the presence of baby pigeons: "Although the red tail had never killed, faced with easy pickings, there was always the risk."

The report added that measuring the success of the falconer was "perhaps more difficult than first imagined".

It said: "There was a perception that flying birds of prey would scare off pigeons and gulls, and a successful outcome (be] achieved fairly quickly. While in the immediate and short term the birds of prey unsettled other birds, in all probability they did not deter the nesting birds.

"Pigeons roosting on the building would fly off to a safe haven and after the falconer had moved away with his birds the pigeons were observed returning to their nests."

The report said that towards the end of the trial, there did appear to be fewer pigeons on the MSP block. But it added: "This may have been a perception rather than a fact."