by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Carl Millier

Age: 31

Occupation: Falconer

Bio: This fun-lovin' Hudson resident has been responsible for keeping the seagulls and pigeons of Dorval Airport at bay since 1994. His company, Falcon Environmental Services, and their "ecological and environmental" method of bird control has been doing such a bang-up job at Dorval that they've since landed contracts at New York's JFK and Toronto's Pearson airports as well. They also put on bird of prey shows, and will be doing their thing at the summit of Mont Tremblant until October. Check out www.falcon.bz for more info.

How his airport falcons earn their keep: By flying around landing strips with a hungry look in their eyes and freaking out all the other birds by their presence.

How long it takes to train your average falcon to fly back to you after a long, hard shift of terrorizing seagulls: About four months.

Do his falcons ever come back with the smell of fresh pigeon on their breath? Rarely. "They may try [to hunt other birds] because it is their instinct, but they always know there is a piece of food for them when we call them back. If a falcon does catch another bird they bring them to the ground and you have to move very fast to pick it up. Otherwise he won't come back to you [because he has a full stomach]. The relationship between a falconer and a falcon is almost entirely based on food. Food and trust."

The number of birds in his employ: Eighty-five.

Does he ever worry when he sees a few of his falcons huddled together in an out-of-the-way place that they might have been influenced by other airport/airline workers and be conspiring to start up a union? Not so much.

Do his falcons ever go a little nutty and start swooping down on neighbourhood cats and toddlers? "No, because falcons are not particularly fond of mammals. But a red-tailed hawk, that could be another story."

Does he ever think it might be fun to train an army of 400 red-tailed hawks to swoop down and terrorize a community à la Hitchcock's The Birds? "No, it would be impossible because they would start attacking each other first."

Is he personally attached to his birds? Yes. "They are not affectionate creatures, like dogs or cats, but you spend so many hours with them that you can't help but get attached. The reason I work with animals is because I love them and want to be with them."

The name of his favourite falcon: Gibraltar.

What happens to his birds when their seagull-terrorizing days are over: "We breed them."

A few things he does for fun: Mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing.

Childhood ambition: To become an astronaut.

Current ambition: To travel the world.

Last book read: Omerta, by Mario Puzo.

Musical preferences: Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Aimee Mann.

A recent film he dug: X2: X-Men United.

Words of wisdom: "Enjoy life and try to mix work and fun as best you can."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca