Rufus the Hawk facts for kids
Rufus the Hawk, Bird Scarer
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| Species | Harris's Hawk |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Occupation | Bird Scarer |
| Known for | Scaring birds away from the Wimbledon Championships |
Rufus the Hawk is a special bird, a Harris's Hawk, who works for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. His job is to scare away pigeons from the famous Wimbledon tennis grounds. People at Wimbledon think Rufus is a very important part of their team! He has been doing this job for 15 years, taking over from another hawk named Hamish.
Rufus's Important Job
Rufus works all year round at the 42-acre Wimbledon site. He visits every day during the two weeks of The Championships. He also helped during the 2012 Summer Olympics when tennis was played there. Pigeons especially love to gather on the roof of the main court. Rufus's job keeps them away.
Rufus has also helped scare pigeons from other important places. These include Westminster Abbey, hospitals, airfields, and even large waste sites.
A Famous Bird
Rufus is quite famous! He even has his own social media accounts. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook. He also has a special security pass for Wimbledon. His job title on the pass is "Bird Scarer."
When Rufus Went Missing
On June 28, 2012, something surprising happened. Rufus was taken from the back of his owner's car. The car was parked on a private driveway. News about Rufus going missing spread all over the world! Many people talked about it. He was even called "the world's most notable bird."
Luckily, Rufus was found three days later. He was on Wimbledon Common, which is a big open space nearby. He was then taken to the RSPCA, an animal welfare charity. Rufus was healthy, with only a slightly sore leg. Rufus usually wears a special radio tracker. This tracker helps his owner find him. But the tracker is taken off at night, which is why he couldn't be tracked when he went missing.
In June 2013, there was another report about Rufus. He got scared by some people wearing hoods. He was also chased away by some crows.
See also
- List of individual birds
