Every Monday, Gary Railton from Urban Issues flies Harris hawk Norman (and occasionally George) above and around Cutty Sark, to scare off pigeons, starlings and the occasional seagull and prevent them from roosting in Cutty Sark’s rigging.
From 10-12, Gary gives talks on Cutty Sark’s main deck – and you can ask him everything you’ve always wanted to know about Harris hawks and how they can be trained to help preserve London’s many historic sites. We started by asking Gary some of the things we were curious about…
How do you train a bird of prey?
‘Birds of prey are trained using food as a reward and by closely monitoring their weight so they are looking forward to their next meal.’
Are you ever afraid that Norman will fly off?
‘No, but he does wear a radio transmitter so I could find him if he did.’
What's the funniest thing that has happened while on the job?
‘Norman once landed on a stationery double decker bus which then drove off with him on it, luckily he flew all the way back to me.’
What's the difference in character between George and Norman?
‘Norman is very chatty and George is the strong silent type, but both are very nice natured.’
What do they eat and where do they sleep?
‘Harris hawks are strictly meat eaters and they have their own aviary in the garden.’
