Photos Posted by Station Staff All Over Hapjeong Station Saying "We Will Get Rid of Pigeons"

Attaching Raptors Photos to Pigeon Complaints
Raptor Photos Have Little Effect on Pigeon Control

Recently, photos of eagles posted at various entrances of Hapjeong Station on Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 6 have become a hot topic. On the 29th, an online community, including X (formerly Twitter), saw a post titled "What is that eagle photo at Exit 1 of Hapjeong Station?" along with a photo. The revealed photo shows a paper with a bald eagle image printed on it, attached in the center of Exit 1 at Hapjeong Station. Another citizen also shared a photo after visiting Hapjeong Station, showing a different eagle photo from the previously posted one.

On the 29th, content related to the photo of a bird of prey posted at Hapjeong Station continued to be uploaded on X (formerly Twitter) and other online communities. [Photo source=X (formerly Twitter)]

As curiosity about the photo grew among netizens, Seoul Metro explained that due to numerous complaints about pigeons entering the station, they posted photos of birds of prey such as bald eagles at the entrances of Hapjeong Station. In other words, the photos of birds of prey, which are natural predators of pigeons, were put up as a 'scarecrow' to chase away the pigeons.

Some bird experts, however, said this method does not significantly help in deterring pigeons. Once pigeons learn that the birds of prey are just photos, they tend to avoid them by going around. In fact, after the photo was posted on social networking services (SNS), one netizen uploaded a picture showing a large number of pigeons gathered in front of the flower bed where the eagle photo was posted, commenting, "No effect on pigeon control here. The eagle seems too small." This indirectly indicates that the bird of prey photos are ineffective in deterring pigeons.

Netizens posted a photo on social media showing a flower bed with an eagle picture attached, surrounded by a large number of pigeons, along with the comment, "The site where pigeon control is ineffective. The eagle seems too small."
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]

The practice of posting birds of prey stickers usually stems from the belief that "birds are startled and avoid approaching when they see their natural predators." A similar case involves using birds of prey stickers on glass windows or soundproof walls to prevent wild birds from colliding with them. However, a 2018 report by the National Institute of Ecology titled "Wild Bird and Glass Collisions" stated that "attaching birds of prey-shaped stickers to glass windows is not very effective in preventing collisions."

It is explained that using patterned or opaque glass is more effective in helping birds recognize glass than simply attaching a single birds of prey sticker. As the photo became a topic of discussion mainly online, a Seoul Metro official said, "Since this was an attempt made independently at Hapjeong Station, it is difficult to comment on its effectiveness."

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