Hawks are patrolling the skies above three Yorkshire Coast railway stations to scare off pigeons.
The Hawks, named Maverick and Zulu, have been deployed at stations in Filey, Beverley and Driffield in Yorkshire, as part of a 12-week trial which began in February.
The Harris Hawks are there to deter the pigeons and prevent them from nesting, but they are not used for hunting.
If they prove to be effective, they could be introduced at other Northern stations which have been plagued by pigeons in recent years.
The train operator has been locked in a long-running battle with the birds, as they damage station roofs and cause issues with their hazardous and corrosive droppings.
Alex Hornby, Northern's commercial and customer director, said:
“We have tried plastic owls and recorded hawk noises but they weren't an effective deterrent, so now we’ve brought in real birds of prey to help us with our pigeon problem.
“The pigeons are a real nuisance for our customers and cause headaches for the station staff who have to clear up after them. That’s why we’re determined to find humane ways of keeping them away.”
Northern has trialled various measures and last year plastic owls were installed at Morpeth station in Northumberland.
Recorded hawk noises were played out of speakers at Driffield station and the roof was smeared with ‘fire gel’, which appears to the pigeons as ultraviolet light and tricks them into thinking the surface is too hot to land on.
But Northern was forced find another approach as the pests kept flocking to both stations and nesting.
Spikes and netting have proved to be far more effective, as they prevent the birds from perching and nesting in certain areas without harming them.
However, these measures have not solved the problem because the pigeons move on to other parts of the stations.
Last year, Northern asked customers to stop feeding the brazen birds and leaving food lying around, claiming this has caused more to flock there.
The hawks which are currently being used at Northern stations have been provided by pest control company Rentokil.
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