More than 1.6 million inhabitants and… 85,000 pigeons.
The city of Barcelona (Spain) has declared hardship to the birds which fill the streets using extreme means: hawks and eagles have now been mobilized since March 20 to scare away the pigeons, reports El Diario.
As part of an experiment, teams of three or four birds began patrolling every day between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. around Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona stadium, also reports The Guardian.
The Bacardi Gardens and the Maternitat Gardens are also affected by the experiment, which should last around six weeks.
Two phases are planned: the first with daily flyovers, then a second where falcons and eagles will be mobilized three days a week.
A process already used in a targeted manner in 2017
According to the municipality, pigeons are animals that stay in a space that they know and in which they know that they are comfortable, that they can feed, rest and reproduce.
However, in certain areas such as Plaça de Catalunya in the city center, the concentration of birds is twice the recommended number, notes El Diario.
To repel them, the hawks will be responsible for flying over the identified neighborhoods to chase and disperse the groups of pigeons.
Barcelona City Hall had already used this process in 2017 to disperse pigeons which risked damaging the Palau Sant Jordi, a sports and concert hall.
If the project proves successful, it could be extended to other districts of the city, Carmen Maté, responsible for animal welfare within the municipality, told the Guardian.
Most Spanish airports already use falcons to prevent collisions with birds.
Barcelona airport has a team of 80 hawks, while around 70 patrol Madrid's Barajas airport.
Work is also being carried out to reduce the fertility of pigeons and their proliferation through treatment with nicarbazin.
It is a contraceptive that began to be used in 2017 on the streets of Barcelona.
Pigeon perching and nesting structures have been reduced and posters posted across a large part of the city to invite residents and tourists not to feed the birds, in order to limit their presence as much as possible.