Wildlife

Wildlife Strike Prevention Aviation

Bird and bat strikes with aircraft cause significant mortality and welfare harm requiring airport and airline mitigation measures.

Key Facts

Over 10,000 bird strikes are reported annually in the United States
Most strikes occur during takeoff and landing within the airport boundary
Habitat management at airports to reduce attractants is the primary mitigation
Some airports use trained raptors as active deterrents

Welfare Considerations

Birds and bats struck by aircraft suffer traumatic injury and death. Airport environments attract wildlife through grass, water features, and waste food sources that can be managed to reduce strike risk. Strike reduction programs primarily protect aircraft safety but also reduce wildlife mortality and welfare harm. Habitat management away from runways and active wildlife management reduce both strike risk and wildlife welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Support airport wildlife management programs
Advocate for wildlife impact assessment in airport planning
Learn about bird strike data and the species most commonly affected
Support research into effective airport wildlife deterrent methods