Robotic Falcon Scatters Gulls and Pigeons in Italy
Researchers at two sites in northern Italy tested a remote-controlled robotic peregrine falcon to see how birds respond to a predator decoy.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Bird Watching
Researchers tested RobotFalcon, a remote-controlled robot designed to resemble a peregrine falcon, on feral pigeons and black-headed gulls at two sites in northern Italy. Both species flew away from the artificial predator, and the gulls' flight activity stayed reduced for up to 10 days.
Why it matters
The findings suggest robotic decoys could be used to move birds away from areas where they cause problems, such as wastewater treatment plants and farms. The study also shows the disruption can extend well beyond the moment of exposure.
Gull night-time flight activity dropped 40% and returning gulls fell 94% across the trial period, while 13% fewer pigeons returned, with most back within 30 minutes. The study covered a cattle farm with about 500 feral pigeons and a wastewater plant hosting roughly 8,000 roosting gulls.
The players
RobotFalcon
A remote-controlled robotic peregrine falcon designed to resemble the bird of prey and test how birds react to a predator.
The details
Over five days in February 2023, researchers flew RobotFalcon ten times at a cattle farm in San Zenone al Lambro, circling above flocks and scanning the ground as if hunting. In a later trial at the Nosedo wastewater treatment plant, the robot flew eight times over a 10-day period, launched 50 to 100 metres from the birds and generally kept within 200 metres of the site.
Timeline
February 2023: ten RobotFalcon flights over five days at the cattle farm.
Winter 2025: eight RobotFalcon flights over a 10-day period at the wastewater treatment plant.
Up to 10 days after exposure: reduced gull flight activity persisted, including 40% lower night flight.
Seasonal Patterns
The RobotFalcon trials were run in winter and February, when gull and pigeon roosting concentrations are highest at these sites. That timing is what made the displacement effect measurable against the birds' usual night-time and daytime flight patterns.
Operators of farms and wastewater treatment plants dealing with bird flocks may find robotic decoys a practical option to explore. Birdwatchers near such sites may notice gulls and pigeons changing their flight patterns after predator-like disturbance.
The takeaway
Predator decoys can move birds, but the effect may last longer than the disturbance itself. Anyone managing bird flocks near crops or facilities should weigh how long displacement might persist before relying on a single intervention.
Further reading
For more on how birds respond to predators in the wild, explore our Bird Watching coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
