5 questions about Rufus the Hawk, Wimbledon’s pigeon hunting hero, answered

There’s a hero that soars in the skies over Wimbledon. His name is Rufus, and he is a good boy.

Part necessity, part tradition. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where Wimbledon is held, has a need to keep bothersome birds like pigeons from flying down onto courts and distracting players during one of the biggest events of the year.

The best way to do this is by having a hawk on staff, which is where Rufus comes in. It’s his job to scare away birds that would invade arenas, and if you’re a lazy-ass trash pigeon then a majestic hawk is the best way to do it.

Not exactly. Instead of actively flying around hunting pigeons during the competition Rufus takes a morning flight over the courts for roughly an hour before matches begin.

His presence creates enough of a threat that unwanted birds are generally too concerned to fly around an area where they know a hawk has been active — so it’s a case of working smarter, not harder for this good bird.

The 2018 tournament marks his 15th year working at Wimbledon with the official title of “Bird Scarer.” He took over from Hamish, who was also beloved at the tennis club — but Rufus, being a millennial has used his skills on social media to elevate his personal brand.

Rufus is a Harris’ Hawk, which can live to be over 25 years old in captivity.

Well, he got kidnapped (or birdnapped) by accident back in 2012. Rufus was in a cage in the back of a car when he was stolen. It led to a nationwide hunt to find out who stole Rufus, and the criminal realized they hadn’t just taken any hawk — but a celebrity hawk.

Thankfully Rufus was returned to police unharmed, and he returned to much celebration at Wimbledon 2013.

Okay.

Here’s to you, Rufus — the hardest working bird in sports.