This October, trained hawks began their seasonal patrols through downtown Portland, humanely assisting in the movement of hundreds of roosting crows.
The program is part of a seasonal crow abatement service provided by Integrated Avian Solutions for Downtown Portland Clean & Safe, a local nonprofit dedicated to enhanced services in the city’s core.
“It is truly an impressive sight to see these urban falconry teams at work, humanely moving hundreds of roosting crows in downtown Portland,” said Maureen Fisher, executive director, Downtown Portland Clean & Safe. “We are pleased to be able to provide this innovative program yet again for our city’s core.”
The urban falconers work with a small team of trained Harris Hawks to assist with the abatement of hundreds of roosting crows within a 72-block area of Downtown Portland.
For more than a decade, crows have been gathering throughout the fall and winter to roost in downtown Portland.
- This roost has been gradually growing over time, currently, it can exceed 15,000 birds.
- Many Portlander’s have fallen in love with our city’s roosting crows – making the trip downtown to see this amazing site themselves.
- Portland is currently setting a national example for living with crows in an urban environment.
- The urban falconry program goes from now until April 15, 2021. Urban falconry teams are downtown four nights a week, starting at dusk and covering a 72-block area.
This is the fourth year Downtown Portland Clean & Safe has worked with Integrated Avian Solutions to utilize urban falconry as a humane tactic to reduce the presence of roosting crows in the downtown core. In October 2019, several hundred Portlanders voluntarily attended a special viewing of the program’s annual launch.