For almost 20 years, this hawk has patrolled Wimbledon before sunrise

Wimbledon is famous for its traditions, from its all-white dress code and perfectly manicured grass courts to the ritual of strawberries and cream. Quietly, over nearly two decades, a Harris’s hawk named Rufus has earned his own place among them.

Rufus first took to the skies above the All England Club in 2008, continuing a bird-control programme that began years earlier. According to the Los Angeles Times, he flies every morning around 4 a.m. BST, well before players begin practising and fans arrive, sweeping across the grounds while groundskeepers and early staff prepare the courts for the day.

His job is to keep pigeons and other birds away from the famous grass, which they can damage, foul with droppings, or use to interrupt play at crucial moments. Rufus doesn’t chase or attack the birds; his presence alone is enough, since they instinctively recognise a Harris’s hawk as a natural predator.

His work may last only a few hours each morning, but it helps preserve the pristine conditions that define the world’s oldest tennis tournament. While players compete for Grand Slam glory, Rufus ensures the stage itself remains undisturbed, doing what millions of years of evolution prepared him to do.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Jules Verne Times Two