Preventing bird strike

Credit: Google user content

Bird strike at airports is both dangerous & expensive. Around $1 billion in damages annually in USA, & more than 250 deaths since 1988.

Propane cannons, recorded predator calls, & packs of dogs have been used to drive birds away. Although these measures are initially successful, birds soon habituate.

What does work is netting, shooting & poisoning. These solutions have the disadvantage of being expensive &/or dangerous &/or illegal &/or unpopular with some members of the public.

Fortunately, there may be another way. You may have noticed birds in a flock constantly calling to one another. There is evidence that sounds which interfere with this chatter can be used to drive birds away.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2016/04/18/acoustic-scarecrows-a-safe-humane-way-to-reduce-bird-strikes/#5fae4c093fbf / build airports resting refueling stopovers migrating birds conflicts Bird Strike Committee USA $1 billion damages annually American civil military aircraft wildlife bird strikes deaths 250 people 1988 scarecrows reduce the chances bird strike bird-strike airport operations managers convince birds to leave airports pesticides pyrotechnics firearms falconry recordings bird distress calls evidence primitive methods don’t work for very long propane cannons habituate broadcast predator calls ignore them packs angry dogs Mark Hinders professor of applied science College of William & Mary co-author paper recently published journal Ecological Applications exclude birds nets guns poison Professor Hinders expensive bad manners exclusion methods illegal suitable migratory resting refueling sites exhausting work migratory bird species ancient stopovers larger birds ducks geese swans arrive every year on schedule stopovers paved over full of people cars aircraft Professor Hinders John Swaddle professor of biology College of William & Mary collaborate project develop effective non-lethal bird deterrent professors knowledge natural history traits shared amongst birds rare exceptions birds highly aural vocal songbirds sing attract a potential mate claim a territory social forming flocks flocks of birds chatter amongst themselves feeding call out to their companions warnings danger birds sensitive to some noises particular sound frequencies disturbed noises certain frequencies produced by traffic machinery aviary studies common European starlings Sturnus vulgaris Professor Hinders Professor Swaddle design an apparatus short-circuits avian conversations device Sonic Net conventional directional parametric speakers produce a narrow beam of colored noise white noise steady stream of all or almost all auditory frequencies same energy level white noise colored noise more energy concentrated either high or low end of the sound spectrum pink noise stronger bass pitch and loudness fluctuations rumbles like a train coloured noise colored noise is annoying noise interferes with normal bird chatter it’s like the cocktail party problem pink noise deter birds
/