Falcon Crop Protection's FrightKite a Home Run at Oakland Coliseum
Oakland Coliseum
Ballparks are like a buffet table for birds with literally tons of food and drinks in an open-air venue. It's no surprise they attract seagulls and other pest birds. In fact at several Oakland Athletics games, birds were literally flocking to the park late in the games in search of plentiful food. It is not unusual for fans and players to be hit by droppings from the air.
In June 2017, the Oakland Coliseum said enough was enough.
They launched their first Falcon Crop Protection FrightKite, which flew high above at flag height, protecting the seats below. The results were immediate from that first game on June 15, 2017: no more pest birds in the immediate area during the entire game AND the A's beat the Yankees 8-7 in a 10th-inning comeback win. Although the A's had a hand in the win, the distinct lack of birds was 100% thanks to Falcon Crop Protection
"It worked great over the weekend," said David Rinetti, Vice President Stadium Operations for the Oakland Athletics Baseball Company. "On the two day games the birds stayed away until the game was over. I definitely want to purchase that additional one."
Stadiums are actually the perfect location for Falcon FrightKites. Obviously, ballpark owners don't want them bothering fans or leaving behind huge messes. But the stadium itself makes it quite easy to fly Falcon FrightKites. With high edges to install the self-flying kites, they protect all the seats below it. That's because to other birds, they look exactly like falcons on the hunt. They simply won't take the risk of flying underneath them, no matter how tempting the free meal.
The Oakland A's even made the Falcon FrightKite a mascot of sorts, and had a naming contest through social media including the Oakland A's official Twitter feed, @Athletics. "Falcon McFalconface" edged out other popular names including Bird Campaneris, Flyda Blue, and Scott Hattebird.
Durable, Easy to Launch, and Cost Effective
Coverage of Falcon Crop Protection's Falcon FrightKite's first game
A short Twitter video of the Falcon FrightKite from the Oakland A's feed
Here's what the Oakland Coliseum was like before the Falcon FrightKite (from MLB)
