Not only does Adam Farrington have to split his time in his dual job as Westbrook’s parking enforcement and animal control officer, or PACO, during the fall, he also has to remember to feed his bird.

According to Farrington, he’s one of about 20 Mainers who practice falconry – a sport in which trained birds of prey catch game. Usually, he catches a new bird to hunt with every year, but this year he’s holding onto a red-tail hawk for a little longer, because it suffered brain injuries.

When he’s not keeping the hawk in a box in the back of his truck, he’s letting it fly up into the trees. The hawk has bells on its feet, so Farrington can hear it, as well as a tracking device with a 40-mile range.

The hawk is trained to swoop down at the sound of a whistle Farrington blows, which means that he’s spotted a squirrel, mouse or snake for the hawk to eat.

For times when Farrington has to get back to marking tires in the municipal lots before they catch a snack, he keeps rodents in a bag to entice the hawk back to his arm and into his truck.

Come to PACO