Saker falcons are being used to deter seagulls and crows at the “Obukhovo” waste treatment complex in St. Petersburg. The birds of prey, named Maestro and Genghis Khan, act as a natural deterrent to the scavenging birds.

The falcons perch at the complex during the day, scaring away crows and seagulls. This initiative addresses the issue of birds being undeterred by people, machinery, and noise at recycling sites.

Irina Kuznetsova-Shushkevich, president of the Association “Union of Falconers of the Northwest,” noted the falcons’ digital codes, 78 and 98, coincide with St. Petersburg’s codes. The Ministry of Natural Resources specialists annually monitor the falcons’ health.

The “First Spetstrans” group of companies stated that the presence of a natural predator creates an inherent danger that the scavenger birds cannot adapt to. At “Obukhovo,” one falcon patrols while the other rests, and they alternate. The presence of the falcons has significantly reduced the number of seagulls at the waste recycling plant.