BART hires Pac-Man the hawk for pigeon patrol duty at East Bay station

Saturday, July 2, 2022
EL CERRITO, Calif. (KGO) -- It appears BART has solved its pigeon problem at the El Cerrito del Norte station.

A hawk named "Pac-Man" is now scaring them off.
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The transit agency hired Southern California-based Falcon Force after trying to solve the problem in numerous ways over the years.

Handler Ricky Ortiz says when he and Pac-Man first came in late May, there were pigeons everywhere. Now, just their presence is effective.
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"Usually when the birds see me walking they already know, so they usually start to take off if there are any. And if not then I just let him go and he usually just flies from perch to perch, and I call him back, and that's enough to get 'em out of here," Ortiz said.

Ricky and Pac-Man come to the station three times a week, for eight hours a day.

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