Pigeon poo on Center Court; it’s the terror of Wimbledon. The white grime would be in stark contrast to the illusion of perfection that the famed tennis park aspires to, with the beautifully manicured green fields and the beautifully dressed spectators. The chosen solution is as simple as it is elegant: Rufus the Hawk.
From the air, the desert buzzard watches over Wimbledon every morning from five to nine – while the gates are still locked and the park still looks deserted. It is enough to keep the pigeons away for the rest of the day. Fourteen days in a row.
Without Rufus the Hawk, the pigeons would suffocate at Wimbledon. The birds are drawn to visitors’ grass seed and food scraps, or relieve themselves while flying over Center Court. They also use the sheltered slots of the sliding roofs of the two stadiums as a breeding ground. “The Wimbledon Park is like heaven for pigeons,” said Wayne Davis, owner of Rufus. ‘If you had to design a place where pigeons would feel at home, it would look something like this.’
One meter wide
Davis talks enthusiastically about Rufus the Hawk, while the desert buzzard (Harris’s Hawk in English) sits on his left arm like a statue. He sees ten times better than a human. Once in a while he will move his big eyes or spread his wings to regain his balance. It is then almost a meter wide.
“Rufus attacks and occasionally kills pigeons,” Davis says. ‘If he would only scare them off, the pigeons wouldn’t be afraid of him. They keep coming back because they don’t see him as a threat.’
That is now the case, 59-year-old Davis, who is involved with birds all year round. He has several, but openly admits that Rufus is his crown jewel. Outside the two weeks of Wimbledon, he watches over the tennis park in the London suburb once a week.
Wimbledon is just one of Rufus’ workplaces. The bird of prey also keeps watch at Lord’s Cricket Ground and Westminster Abbey, among others. He was only 15 weeks old fifteen years ago when he first played at Wimbledon. It is not used during the day for safety reasons.
Work preventively
Over the years, Davis has seen the number of pigeons around Church Road dwindle, demonstrating the important role that Rufus plays. ‘Now he mainly works preventatively’, according to the owner. His owner does not want to say how many pigeons the bird of prey has already taken this year.
Davis was approached by Wimbledon in 1999. The oldest grand slam tournament was in the thick of things. The bird droppings and nuisance from the birds was a growing problem for the tournament where everything is taken care of down to the last detail. Did Davis have the solution to the most stately grand slam tournament?
In the early years, Hamisch patrolled over Wimbledon. But in 2007, Rufus took over. He soon achieved hero status in England. He has his own twitter and instagram account and has his own access card for Wimbledon. Includes photo and job description: scarecrow.
Stolen
In 2012, Rufus was suddenly national news when he was stolen from the car in which he spends the nights during the Grand Slam tournament. The electronic device with which he can normally be tracked was removed from his body by the thieves. “Game, set and stolen,” headlined the Daily Mail† “The bird belongs to the Wimbledon family,” the police said, calling on the public to help with the investigation.
After three days, England’s most famous buzzard was delivered to the animal shelter. His twitter account, which is operated by his owners, confirmed that he was back. “Rufus has been found. We want to thank everyone for the support to find him again.’
Davis spoiled the buzzard with treats for a few days, happy as he was. But other than that feeding is very close. Davis does not talk to his bird, but communicates with him through food. “He should be hungry enough to hunt, but not too hungry,” Davis said. ‘If he’s too hungry, he finds a quiet spot on the roof of Center Court and devours an entire pigeon. Then I can wait a long time before he is hungry again and comes to me.’