The Royal Palace of Caserta hires ... hawks to ward off pigeons damaging marbles

A patrol of hawks to keep starlings and pigeons away from the Royal Palace of Caserta: in fact, birds, especially pigeons, are an atavistic problem for the conservation of the Vanvitellian complex. The birds are now sedentary in the spaces of the courtyards, the Cannocchiale, the Scalone, the Lower and Upper Vestibules and the Palatine Chapel, and they cause serious damage to the marble, stucco and all valuable surfaces.

In fact, the guano left by birds promotes the rapid deterioration of stone surfaces and the creation of mold and mildew. In addition to structural deterioration, aesthetic damage to the works should also be considered, and guano is also the cause of possible sanitation problems in relation to public use. So here it is that, after, the restoration works and the initiatives of rearrangement and cleaning of all the environments, the Royal Palace of Caserta is now preparing to face the problem of pigeons: the expression of interest for the assignment of the “starlings removal service by means of birds of prey” has just been published.

Major restoration work has been carried out in recent months, and decisive action is now urgently needed so that the work done is not in vain. For this it was decided to resort to falconry. The architectural characteristics of the Vanvitellian Complex, with its many cornices, beams, vaults, niches and statues, do not allow, both economically and aesthetically and functionally, to operate with mechanical or electrified bollards. Acting with targeted or partial interventions, on the other hand, would only be a temporary solution.

Therefore, an ecological, natural and non-impactful solution: birds of prey will fly over the skies of the Palace keeping starlings and pigeons away, on a permanent basis. In fact, the use of trained hawks makes it possible to exploit the natural self-preservation instinct of pigeons, and over time induces colonies to leave. As early as last May, thanks to the Friends of the Royal Palace Association, which had promoted the initiative, an experimental attempt had been made and proved successful.

The procedure for the acquisition of expressions of interest will be carried out entirely by telematic means and can be consulted on the website of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The duration of the service provision will be three years.

The Royal Palace of Caserta hires ... hawks to ward off pigeons damaging marbles

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