Bird strikes can be prevented

A US Airways pilot performed an emergency landing on the Hudson River soon after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 3:27 p.m. Shortly after takeoff, both of the jet’s engines were instantaneously cut off by a flock of geese (generally known as a “double bird strike”).

The Hudson River disaster has brought forth unprecedented attention to “mysterious” bird strike calamities. However, bird strikes have been prevalent presumably since 1903—when the Wright brothers first roamed about in innovative engine planes.

Airport regions are ideal habitats for a variety of bird species, as airports have plentiful open space and rolling fields of luscious grass. Precautionary and preventative measures can be taken in order to reduce the chances of such a costly and ill-fated catastrophe from reoccurring.

Birds that aggressively protect their roosting habitats in airport spaces have unconsciously become immune to the busy traffic.

Birds need to be chased away from airport complexes prior to takeoff. This can be effectively done by making their environment unbearably inhabitable with the combined use of visual and sound deterrents as well as taste aversions—a commonly implemented three-part method. One must use bird spikes, bird lasers, bird nets, visual scare devices, annoying sounds, and/or repulsive tastes. If the three-part technique is executed correctly, birds will be forced to find another home farther from the airfield, hence reducing the risk of hazardous airborne tragedies.

More information about deterring pesky birds can be found on Bird-X‘s website.

View the Bird-X Airport Bird Control System here.

Bird Strike Facts

In an effort to increase awareness about bird strikes, we at Bird-X are going to be posting a series of bird strikes articles to outline facts, statistics, and prevention methods.

To start, we’ve come across some striking information regarding the damage caused by bird strikes and wildlife strikes.

Bird and Wildlife Strike Facts:

• Over 219 people have been killed world-wide as a result of bird strikes since 1988.
• Bird and other wildlife strikes cost USA civil aviation over $620 million/year, 1990-2007.
• Over 5,000 bird strikes were reported by the U.S. Air Force in 2007.
• Over 7,600 bird and other wildlife strikes were reported for USA civil aircraft in 2007.
• Studies indicate only about 20% of bird strikes to civil aircraft at Part 139-certificated (passenger service) airports in USA are reported.  Less than 5% of bird strikes at General Aviation airports are reported.
• From 1990-2004, USA airlines reported 31 incidents in which pilots had to dump fuel to lighten load during a precautionary or emergency landing after striking birds on takeoff or climb.  An average of 11,600 gallons of jet fuel was released in each of these dumps.
• Waterfowl (31%), gulls (26%), and raptors (18%) represented 75% of the reported bird strikes causing damage to USA civil aircraft, 1990-2007.
• Over 760 civil aircraft collisions with deer and 250 collisions with coyotes were reported in the USA, 1990-2007.

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Bird-X note : Coyotes can be deterred from large areas with Sonic Repellers like the CritterBlaster PRO

• In 1890, about 60 European starlings were released in Central Park, New York City.  Starlings are now the second most abundant bird in North America with a late-summer population of over 150 million birds.  Starlings are “feathered bullets”, having a body density 27% higher than herring gulls.
• The North American non-migratory Canada goose population increased 3.6 fold from 1 million birds in 1990 to over 3.5 million in 2007.  Over 1,400 Canada geese strikes with civil aircraft have been reported in USA, 1990-2007.  Over 40% of these strike events involved multiple birds.
• A 12-lb Canada goose struck by a150-mph aircraft at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000-lb weight dropped from a height of 10 feet.

GooseBuster Goose Repeller

• The North American population of greater snow geese increased from about 50,000 birds in 1966 to over 1,000,000 birds in 2007.

*Our product, the GooseBuster PRO (pictured to the right), has been effective in repelling geese from areas up to seven acres per unit.

• The nesting population of bald eagles in the contiguous USA increased from fewer than 400 pairs in 1970 (2 years before DDT and similar chlorinated-hydrocarbon insecticides were banned) to over 11,000 pairs in 2007.  Over 100 bald eagle strikes with civil aircraft have been reported in USA, 1990-2007.  Mean body mass of bald eagles = 9.1 lbs (male); 11.8 lbs (female).
• The Great Lakes cormorant population increased from only about 200 nesting adults in 1970 to over 260,000 nesting adults in 2006, a 1,000+-fold increase.
• The North American white and brown pelican populations grew at average annual rates of 2.3% and 1.9%, respectively, 1966-2007.
• At least 15,000 gulls were counted nesting on roofs in USA cities on the Great Lakes during a survey in 1994.
• About 90% of all bird strikes in the U.S. are by species federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

*We provide humane, non-lethal solutions to repel birds.

Bird-X is the world leader in bird control solutions. Please view our bird control products page to view our current selection.

Facts and statistics source: http://www.birdstrike.org

View the Bird-X Airport Bird Control System here.