Twice a month, a hawk named Lilith takes to the skies over Naples Airport — not for show, but for safety.
The Canadian-based company Predatory Bird Services is hired by airports across Florida to help prevent bird strikes — a potentially deadly threat to aircraft. Starting next month, their trained raptors will begin working at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), joining existing operations in Naples, Marco Island, Page Field, and Key West.
“We call this abatement falconry. We visit sites like this airport and also landfills. We don’t want seagulls, crows and pigeons feeling comfortable at these airstrips," said Erica Haller, a falconer with Predatory Bird Services.
Instead, Lilith — along with her counterpart Nacho — flies short bursts around the runways, scaring off nuisance birds and conditioning them to avoid the area entirely.
“They know if they’re going to be hanging around here, there’s going to be a hawk chasing them, and they should be somewhere else,” said Haller.
There were nearly 1,800 bird strikes reported in Florida in 2024, including 25 in Naples alone, according to FAA data. The risks are real: internationally, flocks of birds have caused engine failures leading to fatal crashes, including one in South Korea last year that killed nearly 200 people.
“One of the most environmentally and humane ways to do that is bring in a predator bird. It keeps birds safe. It keeps our aircraft and pilots and passengers safe as well. So it’s a win-win all the way around," said Robin King with the Naples Airport.
While used primarily at airports, the job has other applications. Haller says abatement falconry is also used at restaurants and landfills — even to deter crows from stealing food.
“We want to see our seagulls out at the beaches. We want to see our pigeons flying through the woods, not sitting around an airstrip,” said Haller.
As Lilith wraps up her run in Naples, her next mission is in Key West — before spreading her wings at RSW.
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