Wimbledon organisers are once again facing the threat of rogue pigeons after their resident hawk, Rufus, failed to produce an heir to continue his legacy.
For the past 17 years, Rufus the Harris’s hawk has kept the skies above the All England Club clear of nuisance birds, allowing uninterrupted play for players and spectators during the Championships.
Rufus has proven so effective in his role that officials had hoped he would pass on his sharp instincts to a successor. However, attempts to breed him have so far failed — including a recent encounter with a particularly “aggressive” female named Pamela, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
Earlier this week, Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, claimed organisers were already training Rufus’s offspring as part of a “family business”. But that assertion has been contradicted by his long-time handler, Donna Davis, 58, who has overseen most of Rufus’s career.
“They didn’t hit it off,” Ms Davis said of the recent mating attempt. “Pamela was quite aggressive. It wasn’t love at first sight. But maybe we can try breeding with him again in the future.”
A previous effort to mate Rufus during lockdown also failed, prompting playful speculation about his sexuality.
Asked about the theory, Ms Davis said: “There’s every possibility. I don’t think it’s that unusual [among birds].”
Harris’s hawks are one of the few species in which females are larger than males — a feature known as reversed size dimorphism. According to Ms Davis, this makes Rufus especially effective at navigating the tighter nooks and corners of the courts to scare off pigeons, unlike his larger female counterparts.
“Initially, the whole reason we were here was because [Pete] Sampras was having to bat pigeons off the baseline,” she explained. “I was thinking, I’m going to have to give them a call and help them out.”
Pigeons are a year-round pest for tennis courts, capable of breeding from just 12 weeks old. Ms Davis joked that she can barely bring herself to watch matches during the tournament out of fear a pigeon might interrupt play.
“They think he’s going to annihilate anything on sight,” she said, laughing.
Beyond Wimbledon, Rufus’s aerial patrol also covers sites such as Westminster Abbey, the Old Bailey, and Lord’s cricket ground, helping to keep pigeons at bay.
He spent the first 16 weeks of his life in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, before beginning his duties at the All England Club.
Rufus’s daily routine typically begins at 5am, sweeping over the outside courts and Court One before making his final descent into Centre Court — ensuring the grounds are clear before the first serve of the day.
