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Farmers in Tainan are constantly battling mice and birds to keep their crops safe. To promote ecologically friendly farming, the Tainan Agriculture Bureau over the past two years has been installing raptor perches on farms. They give a place for hawks and other birds of prey to rest and wait for their chance to hunt field mice, lizards, and other small animals. There are now 21 set up by the city government and farmers themselves, helping farmers reduce damage to their crops.

Some farmers tie ribbons to trellises, while others stick on reflective tape. Some even speak over a megaphone. All of these methods are meant to drive away birds, mice, and other vermin. But they all have their limitations.

Farmer
Tainan
These are our tomatoes. But they’re very smart. Just as they start changing color, they eat them. And they’ll jump after eating, so it leaves a big pile on the ground.

To help prevent farmers’ hard-earned work from being destroyed time and again, the Tainan City Government in 2024 started installing raptor perches on some farms. They give the birds a place to rest and keep watch for lizards, field mice, sparrows, and other small prey. It also helps out the farmers.

Farmer
Tainan
When they see prey, they’ll fly out to catch it. Then they’ll fly back to eat it straight away. So these perches are extremely useful. We also don’t need to buy any rodenticide.

Perch installer
Tainan
You can use bamboo or iron poles. Or just attach any horizontal bar directly to a tree to make a raptor perch. That’s the easiest way.

Raptor perches can not only reduce crop damage caused by wild animals, but also saves farmers from using pesticide. The city has already set up 10 perches at farms in Dongshan, Guantian, Danei, and Guanmiao districts, while farmers themselves have installed 11 more for a total of 21. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the birds.

Chu Chien-ming
Tainan nature conservation chief
We’re using the food chain itself. Setting up a food chain. The longer the food chain, the healthier the environment will be.

After setting up the perches, farmers have noticed a clear increase in birds of prey spending time around their fields. The city is considering installing more of them to share the benefits with more farmers.

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