Airport Falcons

My father was an airline mechanic for many years, and had a great many stories of things that happened at his workplace.

One such example was the bird problem at the airport. The city birds were a nuisance, and finally the workers at the airport decided to get some recorded calls of birds of prey and play it over the outside speakers, in order to scare them off.

However, what they didn't know was that some of the sounds on the recording were mating calls. Cue a lonely bird, single and looking for love. A peregrine falcon appeared at the airport, and was likely confused as to where its potential mate might be.

So now, in addition to the menacing sounds of predators, the airport had an actual raptor hanging out there. Eventually, a second one appeared at the airport, and now there was a breeding pair. And hunting pair, too. And in coastal California, it had plenty of seagulls, pigeons, and other such prey to feast on. The runways and parking lots were less safe now that two deadly creatures were patrolling the area, and helping themselves to the occasional wing or drumstick.

Unfortunately, someone later shot one of the falcons and killed it. The man who did it was fined for his action. I think Dad said the remaining falcon eventually disappeared, perhaps flying off in search of a new territory and mate.
But for a while, Dad and the others had the entertainment of watching the peregrines fly around and hunt the other birds populating the area. All because the airport inadvertently summoned some feathered pest control.