The FAA and USDA Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the United States 1990-2022 is hot off the press. Click on the image to the left to access the report on the FAA website.
Each year the report summarizes the latest statistics in wildlife strikes from the US. As usual, it is an excellent read with plenty of graphs and stats for the data geeks among us but is also approachable for people new to the industry or topic.
In 2022, 17,190 strikes were reported which is an increase from 2021 (attributed to increased air traffic). Both 139-certified and general aviation airports reported increased strikes. Waterfowl, raptors, and gulls are the species groups of birds with the most damaging strikes. One key take away from the report is that species body mass is a good predictor of relative hazard level among bird species. The annual cost of wildlife strikes to the USA civil aviation industry in 2022 was projected to be 67,848 hours of aircraft downtime and $385 million in direct and other monetary losses.
Another item to note is the Executive Summary – Part 2 that highlights the FAA’s continued multifaceted approach to mitigating wildlife strikes.
Some great stuff in the report. Excellent to see it released to the public!
Spring Migration
This is an incredible time of year. Birds manage to make it thousands of miles through challenging environments to get back to their breeding grounds. Spring migration has finally started. It’s a thrill to see thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of birds fight their way north. If you have ever stood next to massive flocks of waterfowl, you know what we’re talking about. A thing to behold.
However, that’s a birder or biologist perspective. It’s a whole different feeling from an aviation safety perspective. Imagine that same flock of cranes from the cockpit of from an air traffic control tower.
That’s why as professionals in this industry, we have to be prepared (especially since climate change has effected the timing of bird movements). Lucky for us, there are all sorts of tools available. This post isn’t an endorsement for any one product, but instead an opportunity to point you down a path to click link to link to link to find information to help you manage wildlife.
Ebird is an excellent source with the ability to search by species, by region, by date, and more. The bar charts, graphs, maps, and migration forecasts are super valuable in assessing what is going on in your region and what may cross your critical airspace.
https://ebird.org/explore
Barchart example
Species example
BirdCast
If you run across a species you don’t know cruising through your area, you can use all sorts of books or apps to help you identify it. One app with a bird ID wizard is Merlin (https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/).
Once you really get into migration, you can start to create maps for others to check out, such as this one from Humming Bird Central. The key is to get out there, enjoy the amazing spectacle, and get ready for the aviation risk associated with migration.
Resources
These links provide information about wildlife hazard mitigation, strike reporting, and species identification, and links to other Committees with goals that are similar to BSC’s.
- FAA Wildlife Homepage
- FAA National Strike Database Serial Report
- FAA Air Traffic By the Numbers
- USDA Airport Wildlife Hazards Program
- Wildlife Management at Airports (English Version – PDF)
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (English Version – PDF)
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (Spanish Version – PDF)
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (French Version – PDF)
- Avian Hazard Advisory System
- U.S. Air Force BASH
- ICAO Airport Services Manual Part 3, Wildlife Control and Reduction
- Bird Strike Committees Worldwide
- Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) – Aerodromes (Doc 9981)
International Bird Strike Committees and Wildlife Organizations
- Bird Strike Committee USA
- USAF Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH)
- Bird Strike Association of Canada
- Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group
- New Zealand Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group
- Bird Strike Committee Germany
- Italian Bird Strike Committee
- World Birdstrike Association
- The Wildlife Society
Federal Regulations/Guidance
The Federal Aviation Administration provides both regulatory safety standards and guidance for mitigating wildlife hazards that relate to aviation safety.
- CFR 139.337 – Wildlife Hazard Management
- U.S.F.W.S Migratory Bird Regional Offices, Contact your regional Migratory Bird Permits office for federal regulations and permits pertaining to dispersal or depredation for your airport. In addition, contact your state’s regulating agency for permits or regulations required by your state for mitigation of wildlife hazards. Contact your federal or state regulating agency for questions or assistance.
- U.S.F.W.S. Migratory Bird Depredation Permits, What you need to know about migratory bird regulations, a Federal Migratory Bird Depredation Permit, and control orders for certain birds.
FAA Advisory Circulars
- 150/5200-32B, Reporting Wildlife Strikes
- 150/5200-33C, Hazardous Wildlife Attractants On or Near Airports
- 150/5200-34, Construction or Establishment of Landfills near Public Airports
- 150/5200-36B, Qualifications for Wildlife Biologist Conducting Wildlife Hazard Assessments and Training Curriculums for Airport Personnel Involved in Controlling Wildlife Hazards on Airports
- 150/5200-38, Protocol for the Conduct and Review of Wildlife Hazard Site Visits, Wildlife Hazard Assessments, and Wildlife Hazard Management Plans
- 150/5220-25, Airport Avian Radar Systems
- 33.76-1A, Bird Ingestion Certification Standards
- 150/5370-10H, Standards for Specifying Construction of Airports
- AC 70-1, Outdoor Laser Operations
FAA CertAlerts
- 14-01, Seasonal Mitigation of Hazardous Species at Airports: Attention to Snowy Owls (PDF)
- 13-01, Federal and State Depredation Permit Assistance (PDF)
- 10-01, Interpretation of the Term ‘Consecutive Calendar Months’ as Used in Part 139, Certification of Airports (PDF)
- 06-07, Requests by State Wildlife Agencies to Facilitate and Encourage Habitat for State-Listed Threatened and Endangered Species and Species of Special Concern on Airports (PDF)
- 16-03, Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing (PDF)
- 98-05: Grasses Attractive to Hazardous Wildlife
MOA
Memorandum of Agreement Between the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Address Aircraft-Wildlife
Research & Publications
- Trends in reporting of wildlife strikes with civil aircraft and in identification of species struck under a primarily voluntary reporting system, 1990-2013. Special Report to the FAA, May 2015.
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (English Version – PDF)
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (Spanish Version – PDF)
- Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports (French Version – PDF)
- Transportation Research Board Airport Cooperative Research Publications
- FAA R&D Airport Wildlife Safety Papers and Publications
- USDA National Wildlife Research Center Airport Wildlife Hazard Publications
- Final Report – Evaluation of the North Shore Marine Transfer Station and its Compatibility with Respect to Bird Strikes and Safe Air Operations at LaGuardia Airport (PDF)
- Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
- Vertebrate Pest Conference
Transportation Research Board Airport Cooperative Research Publications (ACRP)
The listed Airport Cooperative Research Publications (ACRP) contain the findings of individual research projects managed by Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Cooperative Research Programs. More information about TRB and ACRP can be found on their home page, HERE.
- Synthesis 39: Airport Wildlife Population Management
- Synthesis 23: Bird Harassment, Repellent, and Deterrent Techniques for Use on Airports
- Legal Research Digest 20: Airport Responsibility for Wildlife Management
- Synthesis 52: Habitat Management to Deter Wildlife at Airports
- Synthesis 117: Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds (2022)
- ACRP Report 32: Guidebook for Addressing Aircraft/Wildlife Hazards at General Aviation Airports
- Synthesis 23: Bird Harassment, Repellent and Deterrent Techniques for Use on and Near Airports
- ACRP Report 122: Innovative Airport Responses to Threatened and Endangered Species
- ACRP Report 125: Balancing Airport Stormwater and Bird Hazard Management
- ACRP Report 145: Applying an SMS Approach to Wildlife Hazard Management
- USDA Publications-Strategies to Reduce Wildlife Hazards to Aircraft
- Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
- Vertebrate Pest Conference
Smithsonian Feather & DNA Lab
Identification of species involved in bird/aircraft strikes is an important part of the mitigation of wildlife hazards to aviation. Species identifications provide the baseline data needed to plan habitat management on airfields, allocate resources, build avoidance programs, and have even been used to assist engineers to design windscreens and engines that are more resilient to birdstrike events.
SENDING SAMPLES TO THE SMITHSONIAN LAB IS SIMPLE, TAKES JUST MINUTES AND IT’S FREE!
Reporting every wildlife strike is crucial to the continuing effort of birdstrike prevention. Equally important is to assign an accurate species to each case so the overall data is complete and can be correctly interpreted. Although commercial aviation currently reports about 7,500 strikes per year, many of these cases are not associated with a specific identification of the wildlife involved. Go to the FAA Wildlife resources web page for the hotlinks to these documents listed below:
https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/wildlife/smithsonian
- AC 150/5200-32 FAA Advisory Circular on Reporting Wildlife Aircraft Strikes. – Detailed procedures for reporting bird and other wildlife Strikes to aircraft – May 2013.
- General Information for Collecting Birdstrike Material
- How to Collect Birdstrike Remains
- Suggestions for Making a Birdstrike Collection Kit
- Instructional Video for Collecting Bird Remains
Accurate data collection is essential to wildlife hazard management programs. Be sure to rely on the Smithsonian Feather and DNA Lab for identifying species involved in strikes via Snarge and feathers collected from aircraft. For identification of wildlife seen during observations, online and printed field guides are a great resource. You might also contact: your state’s natural resources office or website, agricultural extension services, higher education programs, and local birding groups.
The below bird identification sites are recommended by our members for their ease of use. We will add others as we become aware of them. If you know of sites you would like to recommend that are not listed here, please contact us.
- All About Birds
- WhatBird
- Audubon Online Guide to North American Birds
- Carolina Raptor Center (hawks, owls, and vultures)
- The Raptor Fund- Raptor Identification (hawks, owls, and vultures)
- Slater Museum of Natural History Wing and Tail Image Collection (Pacific northwest birds)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – The Feather Atlas – Flight Feathers of North American birds.