美国国家公共电台 NPR--The key to this California train station's pigeon problem? A hawk named Pac-Man

The key to this California train station's pigeon problem? A hawk¹ named Pac-Man

Transcript²

A transit³ station in the California Bay Area has turned to an unlikely hero to try to solve its pigeon problem: Pac-Man.

No, not the perpetually hungry video game character. This Pac-Man is a roughly 6-year-old, 1.5-pound, quail⁴-loving Harris's hawk, a uniquely social bird of prey⁵ native to the American Southwest.

He and his handler work for a pest abatement⁶ company called Falcon⁷ Force, which BART hired in late May to help scatter⁸ pesky pigeons away from its El Cerrito del Norte station in the suburbs of San Francisco.

"Pretty much wherever you could perch⁹, there was a pigeon," falconer Ricky Ortiz says of the scene when the duo first got started.

Like many other public transit hubs, the station's oasis¹⁰ of nesting ledges¹¹, signs, platforms and piping conduits makes it a perfect environment for pigeons to thrive, explains Falcon Force owner Vahe Alaverdian. And they can raise up to six clutches (with two babies each) per year, which adds up fast.

It's not just that the pigeons and their droppings are an eyesore — they're also health hazards, since they could be carrying bacteria or parasites¹².

BART says it has tried plenty of pigeon-removal tactics over the years, from installing bird-repellent spikes¹³ and netting to bringing in owl¹⁴ statues and experimenting with noise. BART spokesperson Chris Filippi explains that the station set out to explore yet another option in response to concerns raised by riders, many of whom were returning to trains for the first time since the pandemic.

And so far, Pac-Man appears to be acing¹⁵ the challenge with flying colors. The three eight-hour days that he and Ortiz spend at the largely open-air station each week have already made a noticeable difference.

Ortiz says after the first week or so he saw about half as many pigeons, and at this point, he and Pac-Man are mostly just making the rounds to deal with the few that still "like to come in and out."

"What we have here is a really new approach that's only been around for a couple of months now, and it's been highly effective," Filippi says. "We're really impressed with the impact it's having."

The name of the game is startling pigeons

So what exactly is Pac-Man doing, if not gobbling up row after row of pigeons?

The raptor's job is to prevent pigeons from nesting in that particular area — and because of nature's predator¹⁷-prey relationship, that doesn't take much work.

Ortiz explains that because pigeons are innately¹⁸ fearful when they sense predators¹⁹ nearby, Pac-Man's mere²⁰ presence is enough to scare them away in most cases. But he does sometimes chase after them, in which case "they learn really quick that it's not a safe place to hang out."

"It just becomes a hostile environment for the pigeons to exist there, coexist there, with a native hawk," Alaverdian says. "So they just basically go across the street into the other parking lot and find the docks and so on to continue life ... without getting harmed."

Alaverdian, a master falconer who's been in the business for years, explains that incidents do sometimes happen in this line of work. After all, a predator won't be motivated to chase a species if it knows it won't be able to eat its catch. But Falcon Force trains its birds to come back at the call of a whistle, in exchange for a tidbit of something like quail or rabbit.

This way, the falcons²¹ won't come into direct contact with potentially disease-borne pigeons, and the pests — who are considered an invasive species and not regulated — can live to see another day.

Not all hawks²² are qualified²³ for the job

Pac-Man wears a GPS transmitter in case he wanders off, as required by state law, but Ortiz says he's never had to use it. That came as a bit of surprise, since he had expected Pac-Man might initially²⁴ be a little thrown off by the sounds of trains coming and going.

Instead, Ortiz says, he was "real steady right off the bat."

Both he and Alaverdian attribute that to the nature of his species. Harris's hawks are the only social species of raptor, hunting and feeding together akin¹⁶ to wolves. That makes them great birds for this type of task.

"Because of their social nature, they are the perfect and most adaptable²⁵ species to take on this kind of relationship that we have with these birds — in tight places, in public, with noises [and] trains coming and going and so on and so forth," Alaverdian adds.

And it's not just that they're not easily fazed by their environment. Ortiz also believes that the species' social nature makes for better relationships with their handlers.

"Some birds are kind of just aloof²⁶, but I haven't met a Harris's hawk yet that hasn't had some kind of bond with their falconer," he says.

Different species have different strengths, and Alaverdian says he acquires a lot of his birds secondhand as retired²⁷ or dismissed falconry birds who didn't exactly suit their owners' needs. That was the case for Pac-Man, who was originally obtained by another falconer to hunt jackrabbits but wasn't equipped for the job because of his relatively²⁸ small size.

So Pac-Man arrived at Falcon Force having been calmed down in captivity²⁹ already, and designated a perfect bird to intimidate³⁰ smaller avians. Alaverdian says that also means he's not interested in anything on the ground — so Chihuahua-toting BART riders don't need to worry (though owners, be warned: dogs freak Pac-Man out, so he might scream at them).

Pac-Man is becoming a household name

But commuters aren't exactly concerned about Pac-Man. In fact, as Ortiz puts it, he's become something of a local celebrity³¹.

"A lot of people are excited because they don't get to see a bird of prey up close," he says. "They're usually pretty interested and have the usual questions."

Most people just want to get as close as they can and take a good look at the bird. But some fans are especially devoted³².

GAMES & HUMOR

First Mention: Pac-Man

Ortiz says he saw one person skip three consecutive³³ trains in order to check Pac-Man out, and another made the trip all the way from the Monterrey area just to see him.

While Ortiz was chatting with NPR, a man came over to see whether the bird he had spotted³⁴ on the platform was in fact a Harris's hawk. Tim Gibson explained that he loves birds and uses binoculars³⁵ to study them in the wild.

"Beautiful, beautiful bird," he said. "I'm sorry to bother you guys, I just had to see him."

Gibson has noticed the area's pigeon problem, and thinks this is a promising³⁶ solution. He adds: "We just have to stay out of the way."

This audio for this story was produced by Ben Abrams and edited by Raquel Maria Dillon.

1 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

4 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

5 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

6 abatement   

n.减(免)税，打折扣，冲销

参考例句：

• A bag filter for dust abatement at the discharge point should be provided.在卸料地点应该装设袋滤器以消除粉尘。
• The abatement of the headache gave him a moment of rest.头痛减轻给他片刻的休息。

7 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

8 scatter   

vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散

参考例句：

• You pile everything up and scatter things around.你把东西乱堆乱放。
• Small villages scatter at the foot of the mountain.村庄零零落落地散布在山脚下。

9 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

10 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

11 ledges   

n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台

参考例句：

• seabirds nesting on rocky ledges 海鸟在岩架上筑巢
• A rusty ironrod projected mournfully from one of the window ledges. 一个窗架上突出一根生锈的铁棒，真是满目凄凉。 来自辞典例句

12 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

13 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

15 acing   

vt.发球得分（ace的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Up to 4 years relevant experience on budget, cost acing report analysis. 4年以上财务经验，包括：预算经验，成本核算经验，财务报表经验。 来自互联网
• Ian: I always think of happy thoughts. Imagine yourself acing the test. 伊恩：我一直保持快乐的想法。想象你考试满分。 来自互联网

16 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

17 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

18 innately   

adv.天赋地；内在地，固有地

参考例句：

• Innately conservative, Confucius was fascinated by the last of these disciplines. 由于生性保守，孔子特别推崇“礼”。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• Different individuals are innately fitted for different kinds of employment. 不同的人适合不同的职业，这是天生的。 来自互联网

19 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

21 falcons   

n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey. 游隼捕到鸟类猎物时，通常是先拔掉它们的羽毛，再把肉撕下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Though he doubted the wisdom of using falcons, Dr. de la Fuente undertook the project. 虽然德·拉·富恩特博士怀疑使用游隼是否明智，但他还是执行了这项计划。 来自辞典例句

22 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

23 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

24 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

25 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

26 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

27 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

28 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

29 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

30 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

31 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

32 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

33 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

34 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

35 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

36 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。