Bird Strike Committee Proceedings
Date of this Version
August 2006
Abstract
For aesthetic purposes and to protect passengers from weather, airports often construct glass canopies over roadways. These structures can provide roosting opportunities for large numbers of European starlings, which can pose a significant strike hazard to aircraft. Both Portland International Airport (Oregon) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (Ohio) have recently had to address this problem, using different methods to find an effective solution. Portland installed 200,000 square feet of exclusion netting in its large canopy structure while Cleveland Hopkins used a combination of tree removal and harassment to disperse their starling roost. These two cases demonstrate the importance of considering wildlife attractant features as an integral part of airport design.