"Long-standing Problem Solved Instantly: 'Elite Security Guard' Emerges at Mexican Auto Plant"

Factory Plagued by Pigeons for Years

"El Charro" the Hawk Reduces Pigeon Activity by 80%

At Ford's vehicle assembly plant in Hermosillo, northern Mexico, a hawk has been employed as a security guard. Its name is "El Charro," which means "Mexican cowboy" in Spanish. El Charro is a Harris's hawk, standing about 60 centimeters tall, and patrols the factory complex that spans approximately 11.2 million square meters.

The Harris Mae 'El Charo' guarding the Ford Hermosillo plant. Ford

On the 27th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that a hawk named El Charro is patrolling the Ford plant and serving as a guard by chasing away pigeons.

The Ford Hermosillo plant has struggled for years with a pigeon problem. Pigeons would frequently enter the facility, get stuck between lighting fixtures or precision assembly machinery, and even drop excrement on freshly painted vehicles, disrupting the finishing process.

To solve the issue, Ford tried playing recordings of large predators’ calls and installed models resembling predators’ eyes throughout the plant, but these measures proved ineffective. The pigeons had fully adapted to the factory environment and would wait for the doors to open before flying inside.

Jesus Teran, the plant’s maintenance manager, turned to the traditional practice of falconry to repel the birds. The plant hired a professional falconer and introduced patrols by a hawk.

The initial attempt did not go smoothly. The first hawk, Charlyno, disappeared after getting into a fight with another wild hawk while on patrol. El Charro was then brought in urgently as a replacement. After being fed in the afternoon, El Charro begins its shift, patrolling half of the plant's perimeter for two to three hours a day. The hawk searches for pigeon gathering spots, locates nests, and alerts workers to their positions.

To date, El Charro has flown more than 300 missions and logged over 1,170 hours in the air, achieving a reduction of around 80% in pigeon activity within the monitored area.

Ford has not set a specific end date for El Charro’s service and plans to continue assigning patrol duties for the foreseeable future. Manager Teran remarked, "Employees are happy to take photos with El Charro," and added, "At this point, El Charro has become such an essential presence that the plant truly needs him patrolling every day."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.