BIRDS of prey were drafted in today to scare away pigeons which have plagued the Scottish Parliament.
The £44,000 contract will see seven birds tackle the problem in a two-pronged attack – but under a "no kill policy".
Ian Cain, of NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, said his hawks would first flush out the pigeons from the various hidden corners of the
Holyrood building.
Falcons flying overhead should then finish the job by frightening them away.
Mr Cain said the birds, including three hybrid peregrine falcons, three Harris hawks and one lanner falcon, would not kill the pigeons.
He added: "None of these birds has ever killed another bird.
"They're trained specifically for bird control and don't see pigeons as a source of food.
"The pigeons should be dispersed to other areas, but over time it will reach an equilibrium because there are only a small number of sites around here they can compete for."
The seven birds took in their new surroundings at Holyrood today as "agitated" seagulls circled overhead.
The youngest bird is one-year-old and the oldest – named after former Scottish footballer Archie Gemmell for his "skill on the wing" – is aged four.
The pest control firm, which has bases across the UK, already controls pigeon populations in Scotland at Hampden Park, the National Galleries and major oil company headquarters in Aberdeen.
At Holyrood, a shelter will be built to house the birds while on duty but they will stay overnight with falconers in Crieff and Edinburgh.
A Scottish Parliament spokeswoman said the £44,000 price tag is expected to drop over time, in line with any success.
A figure has not been put on the current clean-up costs – but bird mess "does affect how often" windows are cleaned.
The spokeswoman said: "We have had some success with our anti-roosting measures, including spikes and nets, and we are now in a position to deter pigeons.
"As with our successful month-long trial last year, we will operate a no kill policy. The birds of prey have been brought in with the main aim of displacing pigeons and deterring them from returning."
The pest-control firm, which has five years experience in Scotland, recently completed a 10-week Scottish Government contract to tackle an urban seagull problem in Dumfries.
