Using Dietary Analyses to Reduce the Risk of Wildlife–Aircraft Collisions

Authors

Brian E. Washburn, USDA National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Glen E. Bernhardt, USDA National Wildlife Research Center
Lisa A. Kutschbach-Brohl, USDA National Wildlife Research Center

Date of this Version

Fall 2011

Document Type

Article

Citation

Human–Wildlife Interactions (Fall 2011) 5(2): article 8

doi: 10.26077/4932-1187

Special topic: Bird strikes

Comments

United States government work. Public domain

Abstract

Wildlife–aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft and cost civil aviation >$614 million annually in the United States. Over 89,700 wildlife strikes with civil aircraft were reported to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during 1990 to 2008. Aircraft collisions with birds accounted for 97% of the reported strikes. Gulls (Larus spp.), waterfowl, such as Canada geese (Branta canadensis), raptors (hawks and owls), blackbirds, and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are the species of most concern at airports. Analyzing information from the FAA’s National Wildlife Strike Database regarding wildlife strikes with civil aircraft , Dolbeer (2006) found that 74% of all wildlife strikes were at altitudes of ≤125 m above ground level (AGL) and suggested that most wildlife strikes occur within the airport environment. Sound management techniques that reduce bird numbers in and around airports are therefore critical for safe airport operations.

. . .

We conducted stomach content analyses on 11 American kestrels (Falco sparverious) collected during wildlife control operations at Laughlin Air Force Base (Laughlin, Tex.) in September of 2009. We found that all 11 kestrels had consumed short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and 46% had fed on beetles (Order Coleoptera). Similarly, Garland et al. (2009) observed that grasshoppers were a food resource used by American kestrels (presumably) struck by aircraft at MontrealTrudeau International Airport. These fi ndings suggest that integrated pest control programs, specifi cally targeting grasshoppers, could be an eff ective management action to reduce the use of airfi elds by American kestrels.