Two falcons for plant safety

It’s known as “non-violent bird control” – it’s the environmentally-friendly method adopted by Sarlux to scare away the flocks of starlings from the Northern Plants of the Sarroch Industrial Site. The large numbers of birds which used to fly over the refinery, seeking the heat from exposed pipework could become a threat for safety, especially as a result of their droppings. That’s why between November 2015 and January 2016, picking up on the idea put forward by the Work Scheduling Manager, Vincenzo Risalvato, the Maintenance service engaged the services of a professional falconer with two of his birds.

These birds of prey, purposely fed just before being set free, played precise roles in scaring off the starlings. One went to the point usually frequented by the starlings, while the other flew round in circles, to scare the birds fear before they came close. That’s why this system is known as “non-violent bird control”: the fully-fed falcons don’t attack the starlings, they only frighten them. But the result is the same – the starlings are kept away from the plant, in a non-violent way. This system has also been reported in a detailed article on daily paper “L’Unione Sarda”.