A Norfolk-based wildlife management company has taken a top prize at a prestigious industry event.

NBC Environment was crowned the winner of the Innovation of the Year accolade at the British Pest Management Awards, organised by UK trade body the British Pest Control Association (BPCA).

Held at ExCel London, the award ceremony formed part of the BPCA’s esteemed biennial exhibition and conference PestEx, the UK’s pest management show.

The award recognised the company’s development of a new robotic tool for use within their bird control service.

NBC Environment saw the potential of an existing device, the Mk1 Rofalcon - a fixed wing, duct fan drone created to train falcons to hunt - to be adapted to the colours and flight profile of a peregrine falcon to act as an extension to proven falconry techniques.

Peter Goodrum, of NBC Environment - who picked up the award - says that the company can now use a combination of traditional methods of falconry and modern technology.

He said: “By using the two we can maintain a predatory response, as downtime is inevitable, for feeding and inclement weather, the drone can be used between flights and withstand crosswinds and rain.

“We are in complete control and can actively disrupt flocks of birds with mimicked stoops, low fast flight and stalked flights to move boards away from the site as our falcons would.”

Based in Snetterton, the company was founded in 1993 as NBC Bird Solutions, but merged with ecological consultants, Blackdown Environmental, in 2017 to become one of the most successful independent environmental consultancies in the country.

Peter added: “It’s a little bit surprising to have won the award, but it’s great that our work with the drones has been recognised.”

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Source: Online