Rufus the Bird Scarer: Rufus is actually the name of a Hawk who does the duty of scaring pigeons and is employed by the “All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club”. Rufus is as famous as Andy Murray as Strawberry and creams at the Wimbledon.
During the Wimbledon, pigeons are often attracted to the grass courts as these are rich in grass seeds which they love. Rufus a Harris Hawk, has been employed to scare these pigeons away who make it difficult to maintain the courts otherwise. These pigeons can also cause major disruption in play.
Rufus has a PA, an official ID card with the job title “Bird Scarer” and also a head gear and tracking device when he is working. Davis Imogen the falconer is Rufus’s PA, she takes care of Rufus and also trains Rufus to scare the pigeons and he covers around 42 acres of land.
Rufus Patrols the courts from 5 am to 9 am until the crowd settles down. He doesn’t hunt when he is full and kills pigeons when he is hungry, so extra care is taken to fly him when he is neither hungry nor full, so that he can be only used as a deterrent.
Rufus is quite famous in England and he is now described as an “important member of the Wimbledon Family”. He Succeeded Hamish the Hawk and he has also been employed to scare pigeons away from Westminster Abbey, various hospitals, airfields, and landfill sites.
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