- Title: BRAZIL: Falcons on patrol at Brazil airport
- Date: 14th October 2013
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 14, 2013) (REUTERS) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER RIO DE JANEIRO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RUNWAY, PLANES TAXING, LANDING FALCON TRAINER, MARCUS ESTEVAN, WITH BIRD PERCHED ON ARM SEVERAL BIRDS FLYING HIGH ABOVE VARIOUS OF FALCON STANDING ON THE GROUND VARIOUS OF FALCON FLYING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ESTEVAN AND OTHER TRAINER FALCON FLYING HIGH ABOVE RUNWAY TAM AIRLINES PLANE TAXING SEVERAL BIRDS FLYING HIGH ABOVE VARIOUS CLOSE-UPS OF FALCON PERCHED ON ESTEVAN'S GLOVED HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FALCON TRAINER, MARCUS ESTEVAN, SAYING "We go looking and then focus on frightening away other birds when we see a concentration of them close to airport runways. In the case of the work we are doing here (Rio), the biggest problem we have is with heron, southern lapwing, vultures, and other raptors but there is a particular abundance of the carcara." RIO DE JANEIRO (FILE) (FOOTAGE COURTESY OF PRESERVATION CENTRE FOR BIRDS OF PREY) VARIOUS OF FALCONS TAKING DOWN SMALLER BIRDS IN THE AIR OVER RUNWAY RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 14, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FALCON TRAINER, MARCUS ESTEVAN, SAYING "The treatment they receive is typical to what an athlete gets. They can't be too overweight or underweight. They have to have an ideal weight and be in good physical condition to be able to capture. In the end, it won't be able to overcome his prey." VARIOUS OF FALCON FLYING AROUND, TO TRAINERS CLOSE-UP OF FALCON AEROPLANE LANDING FALCON FLIES TO ESTEVAN
- Embargoed: 29th October 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Environment,Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA8FOE7ZIKUZRMU233OSC734P4K
- Story Text: Trained falcons take on air traffic control of a kind in Brazil - scaring off other birds which could cause airplane accidents.
Bird strikes on planes have become a major scourge of air traffic in recent years.
Brazil is no exception, where authorities say birds have been blamed for 1,000 bird strikes this year alone across the country.
Authorities in Brazil, however, have decided to fight nature with nature - enlisting trained falcons and hawks to help scare off flocks of birds flying too close to the international airport's airspace.
Some aviation experts say bird strikes continue to mount because the airline industry has failed to view the threat as seriously as other flying hazards.
So in Brazil, it's falcons to the rescue.
Falcon trainer Marcus Estevan, who works for Cepar, Brazil's Preservation Centre for Birds of Prey, said the birds are trained to look for clusters of birds flying too close to Rio's runways.
"We go looking and then focus on frightening away other birds when we see a concentration of them close to airport runways. In the case of the work we are doing here (Rio), the biggest problem we have is with heron, southern lapwing, vultures, and other raptors but there is a particular abundance of the carcara," Estevan said.
The falcons and hawks enlisted in the cause are trained to frighten away or capture, their prey, but without killing them.
Estevan said that his falcons have to follow a strict regimen in order to be effective hunters.
"The treatment they receive is typical to what an athlete gets. They can't be too overweight or underweight. They have to have an ideal weight and be in good physical condition to be able to capture. In the end, it won't be able to overcome his prey," Estevan said.
The birds of prey do receive a treat as a reward for capturing other birds, but only if the birds are left alive.
Trainers use bundles of feathers to train the falcons and hawks for the real thing.
Cepar has been known to also assist factories and ports in need of similar aerial scare tactics. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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