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Birds often get stuck inside airport terminals, and they can be challenging to remove. Birds in airports can cause damage to vehicles, harass travellers, and cause flight delays or even crashes. Bird strikes on planes have caused several incidents, including a United Airlines flight that had to return to Fargo, North Dakota, after a bird hit the plane's front. Airports employ various methods to prevent bird strikes, such as firing air cannons, altering the landscape, and using pyrotechnics and bird-of-prey calls. Some airports use creative solutions, such as deploying pigs to eat gull eggs or using border collies to chase away herons and egrets. Bird removal services are also available to safely capture and remove birds from airport buildings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bird strikes on planes | Can cause planes to return to the airport or land in rivers |
| Bird removal companies | Meridian Bird Removal, Chicago Bird Collision Monitor |
| Bird removal methods | Pyrotechnics, air cannons, falconry, air "bird-of-prey and distress calls", nets, humane traps, water |
| Bird prevention methods | Filling in ponds, replacing grass with gravel, LED screens with googly eye graphics, pigs, border collies, altering nearby landscapes |
| Bird damage | Bird poop, bird-caused structural damage, bird-related delays |
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What You'll Learn
Birds are a safety hazard to planes
Birds are a significant safety hazard to planes, and bird strikes have caused a number of accidents with human casualties. Bird strikes, sometimes referred to as bird ingestion, bird hits, or bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH), are a collision between an airborne animal, typically a bird, and a moving vehicle, usually an aircraft. These strikes put the lives of aircraft crew members and passengers at risk, with over 250 people killed worldwide due to wildlife strikes since 1988. The majority of bird collisions occur near or at airports during takeoff and landing, with 90% of strikes happening below 5,000 feet.
Bird strikes can cause severe damage to aircraft, especially during takeoff when the engine is turning at a very high speed, and the plane is at a low altitude where birds are commonly found. Birds can crumple an airplane's nose cone, puncture a hole in a wing, disable ground steering, or destroy an engine. Jet engines are particularly vulnerable to bird strikes, as the rotation speed of the engine fan and engine design can lead to cascading failures. While commercial jets usually escape with minor damage, bird strikes have resulted in planes making emergency landings and returning to the airport.
Airports employ various methods to minimise the risk of bird collisions, including habitat management, bird hazing, and bird removal. Habitat management involves altering the landscape around the airport to make it less attractive to birds, such as filling in ponds or replacing grass with gravel. Bird hazing uses non-lethal measures such as repellents, loud sounds, or chasing birds away with dogs or falcons. In some cases, physical bird removal may be necessary, especially when dealing with larger birds of prey.
To aid in bird strike prevention, advanced radar systems have been implemented in some airports to detect and track bird activity. These systems provide real-time information on bird size, location, and movements, allowing air traffic controllers to make informed decisions and activate appropriate measures, such as firing air cannons or timing arrivals and departures to avoid large flocks. Despite these efforts, bird strikes remain a challenging issue for the aviation industry, with an increasing number of strikes being reported over time.
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Airports employ creative ways to keep birds away
Airports employ a variety of creative methods to keep birds away and prevent bird strikes, which can be dangerous and cause flight delays. While some airports opt for simple solutions, such as firing air cannons or propane cannons, others have turned to more innovative approaches to tackle this issue.
One such example is the use of animals to deter birds. Salt Lake City International Airport deploys pigs to eat up gull eggs, preventing the gulls from hatching and multiplying. Similarly, Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers employs border collies to chase away herons and egrets. These canine companions not only provide an effective bird control solution but also offer a friendly presence at the airport.
In addition to animals, technology plays a pivotal role in bird deterrence. Some airports, like Amsterdam-Schiphol, Chicago-O'Hare, and Istanbul Airport, utilize advanced radar systems. These systems provide real-time data on bird flock size, location, and movements, enabling air traffic controllers to make informed decisions and activate appropriate bird-scaring measures, such as firing pyrotechnics or air cannons.
Another creative tactic involves the use of visual and auditory cues. France's Lourdes-Tarbes-Pyrénées airport employs LED screens displaying googly eye graphics to startle and scare off raptors. Airports also broadcast bird-of-prey and distress calls through speakers in strategic locations, deterring nesting birds and luring them away from aircraft activity.
Furthermore, airports can modify the surrounding landscape to make it less appealing to birds. This includes filling in ponds, replacing grass with gravel, or using grape-flavored drink mixes in pooled water to deter gulls with an unpleasant taste. These methods aim to create an environment that is less conducive to bird habitation.
While bird strikes are a serious concern for airports, these creative solutions showcase the ingenuity and dedication of airport authorities in ensuring the safety of passengers, staff, and the birds themselves.
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Birds are trapped and released
Birds stuck inside airport terminals can be challenging to remove. Birds often enter airport terminals through automated doors or loading docks that remain open for extended periods. Once inside, they can be trapped and released outside. While most airports prioritize preventing bird strikes, some do deploy humane traps to catch and release birds.
The Chicago Bird Collision Monitor is an organization that specializes in removing birds from airports like O'Hare International Airport. They advocate for bird-safe lighting and building design to reduce bird collisions. Their volunteers suggested using humane traps to catch the birds and release them outside. These traps are strategically placed after scouting the area and identifying the best capture locations.
Meridian Bird Removal is another company that provides bird removal services for airports. They employ a patented interior live capture system that guarantees to capture birds inside buildings in minutes. Their process includes scouting the area, placing nets, and constantly monitoring them to safely capture and remove birds. Meridian also offers exterior population reduction methods to keep birds away from sensitive areas.
In some cases, airports may opt for more creative solutions to deter birds. For example, Salt Lake City International Airport deploys pigs to eat gull eggs, while Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers uses border collies to chase away herons and egrets. Additionally, airports may utilize pyrotechnics, air cannons, or play bird-of-prey and distress calls to scare birds away from aircraft activity areas. These methods aim to prevent bird strikes and maintain the safety of passengers and staff.
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Bird removal services
A range of methods are then employed to deter, capture, and remove birds from the premises. This includes habitat modification, such as sealing entry points, installing netting or bird coils, and using gels or repellents to discourage nesting and roosting. Bird removal services also focus on the safe and humane capture of birds. They utilize custom-built equipment, such as patented interior live capture systems, to quickly and effectively capture birds inside buildings. This involves scouting the area, strategically placing nets, and employing various techniques to handle the birds.
Additionally, bird removal services prioritize sanitation and the removal of hazardous bird fecal matter. Bird droppings can cause structural damage, leave unsightly stains, and promote the transmission of diseases. By remediating fecal matter, these services help reduce health risks and prevent damage to infrastructure. Bird removal companies also provide ongoing monitoring and maintenance to address future bird-related issues and offer recommendations for bird prevention.
In the context of airports, bird removal services play a critical role in ensuring the safety of aircraft operations and mitigating the risks associated with bird strikes. Airports are particularly concerned with preventing birds from perching, roosting, and defecating on planes, as bird excrement can be highly acidic and damaging to aircraft exteriors. Bird removal services help airports address these challenges through their specialized capture and removal techniques, deterrence methods, and population reduction strategies.
Bird removal companies like Meridian Bird Removal offer services specifically tailored to airports. They deploy patented interior live capture systems to efficiently capture birds inside airport buildings, ensuring that bird-related issues are resolved promptly without disrupting airport operations. Meridian Bird Removal also provides exterior population reduction methods to keep birds away from sensitive areas, contributing to the overall safety and security of airport facilities.
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Bird-safe lighting and building design
Bird strikes on planes can be dangerous and even deadly. Airports have implemented various methods to prevent birds from entering the premises and to scare them away. However, some airports have also adopted bird-safe lighting and building design practices to ensure the safety of birds.
One of the most effective ways to prevent bird collisions with buildings and reduce bird deaths is by using bird-friendly glass. The fritted design of bird-friendly glass at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, for example, has reduced bird collisions by up to 90%. This type of glass has tiny ceramic dots that make the glass visible to birds, preventing collisions. Other types of bird-friendly glass include frosted, ultraviolet, and low-reflective glass. External screens, architectural features such as awnings and overhangs, and netting can also be used to break up windows and make them less attractive to birds.
In addition to glass choices, the design of the building itself can play a role in bird safety. Properly channeling birds away from buildings through walkways and strategically placing surrounding vegetation to minimize reflection can also help reduce bird collisions.
Lighting also plays a crucial role in bird-safe building design. Lasers, for instance, can be used to deter birds. Due to their visual abilities and instincts, birds perceive laser beams as physical objects and will naturally avoid them. This method is safe, silent, and considered highly effective as birds are unlikely to adapt to flying through them.
Some airports have also implemented advanced radar systems to monitor bird activity and prevent bird strikes. These systems provide real-time tracking of bird size, location, and movements, allowing operators to take necessary precautions to avoid bird strikes.
By adopting bird-safe lighting and building design practices, airports can help reduce bird collisions and create a safer environment for both birds and aircraft.
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Frequently asked questions
Birds that enter airport terminals are usually removed with the help of humane traps. Some airports employ creative solutions to this problem, such as using pigs to eat up gull eggs, border collies to chase away herons and egrets, or LED screens with googly eye graphics to scare off raptors.
Birds that are trapped are usually released outside. In some cases, they may be euthanized.
Although plane engines are designed to withstand smaller bird strikes, and planes can fly with just one engine, bird strike prevention is still a priority for airports worldwide.
Airports employ a variety of methods to prevent bird strikes, including firing off pyrotechnics, air cannons, and speakers that play bird-of-prey and distress calls. They may also alter the nearby landscape to be less bird-friendly, filling in ponds or replacing grass with gravel.
