East Sussex vineyard uses birds to hunt down pests

A total of five different birds will be used to hunt down pests as part of the vineyard’s new trial.

The owners said: “From dawn to dusk, these majestic birds of prey are working alongside our vineyard team to keep pigeons, crows, seagulls and other birds from eating the fruit during the critical final month of ripening.

“The falconry team provides a natural, effective alternative to netting, which we used in previous years, saving over 300km of plastic netting and thousands of plastic clips.”

The falcons and the local birds have a natural predator-prey dynamic. This means that when the pigeons or crows spot the falcons on the estate at this time of year, they realise they need to look elsewhere for food, the vineyard team explained.

Each bird has been specially bred, trained and handled by expert falconers, ensuring their welfare while allowing them to showcase their natural abilities.

The winery owners explained that this practice has previously been successful in France’s Champagne region.

Sarah Driver, who co-founded and co-owns the winery, said: “We’re always trying to reduce our environmental impact, and the plastic nets need replacing every three to five years. They also require lots of small plastic clips to keep them in place.

“This year we’re trialling a falconer who we hope will be more successful in keeping birds away.”

Each bird has a different role to play in protecting the crop: peregrine falcons, the UK’s fastest bird of prey, reaching speeds of up to 200mph, are aerial hunters who will tackle birds in the air.

The small merlin is agile and able to weave between vines to deter small birds. The Harris’s hawk and Chilean blue eagle, the largest in the falconry team, are tasked with patrolling perimeters to keep larger birds like crows and pigeons at bay, according to BBC News.

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