SERIAL KILLER IN SURFERS
... BUT THE HE WINDOWS WS ARE CLEAN AN
MOVE over real estate icon Max Christmas, Surfers Paradise has a new ruler of the roost.
But this one is neither man nor machine. Rather it’s a peregrine falcon that dives at more than 320km/h to catch its pigeon prey in midair and deposit the bodies on the top of the 50 Cavill Ave tower with the help of a female friend called Mrs Kingswood.
Steve Gillard, who heads up 50 Cavill owner GDI Property Group, likens the bird to Ironman or Superman. The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on earth when diving through the air with a maximum speed of 390km/h.
“When we first bought the building (in 2016) we went up on the roof and we saw all these feathers there, these pigeons. I was watching for him and all of a sudden he’s come out and caught this pigeon mid-air,” he said.
“It’s like the Ironman or Superman. He comes out of nowhere and grabs it and his wife comes over and he passes the pigeon to her and then he goes off and gets another one.”
Mr Gillard said The Falcon – as the bird has become known – is an efficient killing machine eliminating up to eight pigeons a day from the Surfers Paradise area.
“I think it could be less now because I think he’s cleaned the whole population of pigeons,” he said.
“Have you seen many pigeons in the Gold Coast in recent times?”
Mr Gillard said The Falcon generally avoided native birds and targeted pigeons, which he called “vermin” although there is the occasional misstep.
“He had a lorikeet once and I gave him a good solid talking to,” Mr Gillard said.
“But he’s got rid of all of the vermin. I love him. He’s a great man.”
The lack of pigeons flying around the 50 Cavill Ave building has meant a decline in the amount of poo being spread on the windows, which in turn had cut down on the window-cleaning bill.
Mr Gillard is so enamoured with The Falcon that the agents from CBRE made a peregrine falcon statue to keep in their boardroom for when he visits.
He said The Falcon was a smart creature that knew good commercial property.
GDI bought 50 Cavill for $48.75 million in 2016 when it was half vacant and took it to near full occupancy as well as more than doubling its value.
“50 Cavill has nice ledges to live under and it is a great building with beautiful views over the water. This building has water views from every level,” he said.
“This is a very smart, intelligent animal. He is in the top building, the best building in Queensland with the best owners in the most technologically advanced building with people who clean up after him.”