Hermosa Beach hotel hires a hawk to fight pigeon problem

On a cool spring evening on an oceanfront balcony at the Beach House hotel in Hermosa Beach, with a gentle sea breeze blowing and the sun setting over the water, one of the only things that could truly spoil the moment is an errant pigeon landing on the railing, or even worse, pooping there.

Pigeons have been a problem at the hotel for years, and the Beach House has tried various ineffective methods to address it, including laying down strips of spikes and electric-charged strips to shoo the birds away. But now, the hotel is moving up the food chain to solve the problem.

Last week, the Beach House enlisted the services of a 16-month old Harris’ Hawk named Sirinda. Accompanied by its handler, licensed falconer Deann Gunter, the bird of prey is patrolling the hotel’s roof and perimeter through June 11 to scare away pigeons. The hawk became something of an overnight celebrity in its first weekend on the Strand.

“It was a scene over the weekend,” Gunter said. “Most people are fascinated by it … It’s taken [the bird] a couple days to get used to all the people and skateboards.”

The hawk is often tethered to Gunter’s leather glove, but when released it follows its natural instincts to chase pigeons. It is not trained, however, to eat or kill them. The bird then returns to Gunter’s hand for a treat such as quail meat. The bird is her companion, she said, but about as “affectionate as a rock.”

Gunter said she’s already seen a decrease in resident pigeons at the hotel, which are prone to building nests under balconies and in nooks on the rooftop, from about 25 to 30 birds to about ten.

Marje Bennetts, general manager at the Beach House, said the hotel’s pigeon problem has worsened recently. Part of the issue is that the hotel is flanked by restaurants, where handouts for birds abound. The birds also prefer views of the water, Bennetts said, making the oceanfront balconies prime real estate.

“We’re a very nice place to stay,” she said.

The hotel’s roof, which is not open to the public, is lined with sharp spikes and electric-charged strips meant to keep the birds away. But pigeons are still able to find ample landing space on the areas not covered by the devices. In some cases, resilient pigeons have even made their nests on top of the spikes.

“Pest birds realize the spikes are not a threat,” Gunter said. “[Birds of prey] are becoming more popular along the coast.”

Not only are the pigeons unsightly, but they’re bad for business. Some pigeons have become so used to people that they no longer fly away when approached, and some have flown into guests’ rooms. Bennetts said the hotel has had to offer complimentary rooms in a few cases to people who were distraught over their pigeon experiences.

One challenge will be to create a lasting solution, since pigeons are known to return to their birthplace, and many pigeons have laid their eggs at the property over the years. The Beach House’s hawk experiment will last only 15 days, but Bennetts hopes it will be enough to change their behavior.

“You need two weeks in order for them to be reprogrammed,” Bennetts said.