Eight falcons are to patrol the venues at Roland Garros during the French Open tennis tournament.
With sharp claws and a top swooping speed of 300km/h, the falcons are intended to rid the tournament of a pigeon pest problem, AFP reports.
Pigeon droppings are said the alter the trajectory of the ball on the clay courts.
Other bird-scaring tactics, such as loudspeaker noise, have failed.
The French Open began on Sunday.
