Why a Harris Hawk Is Patrolling Bay Area BART Stations Every Day
Many people have seen a dog, a horse, or even a donkey with a job-but one San Francisco resident met a bird with a job at the most unexpected place. Bay Area writer @bunny.the.doc fell in love at first sight when she met the Harris Hawk at the Glen Park BART station, though she never could've guessed what exactly he was doing there.
This Bay Area BART hawk has a very important job, and most public transit riders have no idea he even does it. Because Bunny was in the right place at the right time, however, this avian hero and his handler are finally getting the attention they deserve.
Why a Harris Hawk Patrols BART
Bunny's serendipitous meeting with the Harris Hawk named Hyde at San Francisco's Glen Park station answers a major question: Who keeps BART stations clean? The rapid transit system has a talented janitorial team at every station, but working animals like Hyde help keep pigeons-and their messes-from getting out of hand.
"When we started here, there were dozens of pigeons that would nest all around the station," Hyde's handler told Bunny, "and given enough time, they felt threatened enough to move out." Now, there are only four pigeons in the entire station!
Even though some birds of prey will eat smaller birds, this Bay Area BART hawk scares pigeons off by 'bating' at them instead. In falconry, bating is the behavior in which a leashed bird flies off the glove. This is usually an undesirable behavior, but in this case, it's exactly what Hyde is supposed to do.
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"I've seen this at South San Francisco BART!" @suzy_woozy95 commented. "It's funny because they designed an anime BART mascot that was a falconer too." It's true! The mascots chosen in 2023 represent the employees and animals (hawks and goats) who keep the transportation system running smoothly.
Harris Hawks: The Natural Predators Built for This Kind of Work
The Harris hawk is a popular choice among falconers because it is more social than most birds of prey. Even wild Harris hawks allow humans to approach them (however, please don't take this as an invitation), but don't let their calm nature fool you. When hunting, these birds let their fierce side shine.
Harris hawks can catch prey mid-flight, so chasing off pigeons is the perfect job for them. Hyde finishes his work before enjoying his lunch so that he stays motivated all morning long, though it seems like he enjoyed the attention from Bunny, too. It's like he knows he's one special bird!
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 4:40 PM.