9 Ways to Deter Birds at Airports
Story written by Daniel Glover, FAA Office of Communications
Bentonville Municipal Airport has a Maverick on its team, but unlike the Maverick of “Top Gun” aviation movie fame, this one is no fan of Goose. The Maverick in Bentonville, Arkansas is actually a border collie, and his job is to get rid of the geese on and near airport grounds.
Training dogs to chase birds is just one of the creative ways that wildlife experts work to ensure safety at the nation’s airports. Their tactics range from audio, visual and chemical repellants to habitat modification, physical barriers and population management.
As the FAA’s wildlife strike database shows, plenty of animal species are attracted to the open fields and other features of the airport environment. Even alligators have been known to cause trouble on Florida runways. But the biggest threat is birds flying into the paths of airplanes, the most famous incident being the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Airports have learned through experience that some techniques to prevent bird hazards simply don’t work. Plastic owls are one example. The fake birds of prey might scare other bird species temporarily, but they eventually realize the plastic owls don’t pose a threat.
“They look great sitting in your office more than at the airport,” FAA wildlife biologist John Weller said.
But some deterrents are quite effective, especially when catered to the realities of each airport and changed as avian interlopers adapt. Here are nine tactics that work (to varying degrees):
Trained dogs and birds of prey. There aren’t many dogs like Maverick at U.S. airports because of the costs of maintaining and training the dog and training handlers, but they do exist. The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently invested in border collies, which were featured on the Disney+ show “It’s a Dog’s Life with Bill Farmer” this year. Trained birds of prey also are rare at U.S. airports because of the costs, but Anderson said Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport used them to chase roosting birds from a parking lot. She said the key with birds of prey is to focus on a small area with a specific target and use them consistently.
Bird effigies. Turkey vultures are large and like to soar, characteristics that make them a threat to aircraft. But they don’t like the sight (or smell) of their deceased friends. “If you hang up a real dead vulture or one that has been stuffed, every vulture will vacate the tower or wherever you’re trying to remove them from,” Weller said, noting a 2009 federal study of the practice. A National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine guidebook on addressing wildlife at general aviation airports noted that bird effigies frighten gulls and ravens, too.
Grape flavoring. “Drinking the Kool-Aid” doesn’t appeal to gulls, so it appealed to the operators of one airport trying to keep gulls out of the water that pooled after heavy rains. After staff spread grape-flavored drink mix into the pools, Weller said, one bitter taste was enough to discourage the gulls. Airports also use methyl anthranilate (grape-seed extract) as a non-lethal, budget-friendly method to deter geese and whitetail deer. It can also be safer: “Some of the chemical agents are very dangerous, and only people with licenses can use them,” FAA wildlife biologist Amy Anderson noted.
Golf tees. Weller said birds at one airport developed an affinity for perching on taxiway light posts, and their excrement inhibited the visibility of the lights. To address the problem, airport personnel glued golf tees to the light posts with the points facing upward. Suddenly the light posts were less on par (ahem) with the birds’ preferred perch.
Plastic projectiles. While paintball players are used to suffering hits during matches, that sting is enough to drive away nettlesome large birds like geese. Airports may prefer paintballs and other plastic projectiles over more toxic agents or deadly weapons. “It’s good because it’s not lethal, but it does have consequences,” Anderson said.
Remote-controlled vehicles. Some airports use remote-controlled cars and boats to flush birds. Weller worked with one team that used remote-controlled boats to corral about 200 geese during molting season and then march them out of the lake to a new location. Unmanned aircraft systems built to look like falcons are an emerging option, but they are expensive, require advanced training to operate and are limited by the Airborne Hunting Act.
Pyrotechnics and cannons. Birds are as spooked by fireworks as your dog on the Fourth of July. “That’s probably one of the most used tools,” Anderson said. “They are explosives, and they are regulated by the [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms], so you have to make sure you follow the rules.” Propane cannons work, too. But birds acclimate to both methods, especially if used at the same time every day. “I’ve seen birds perched on propane cannons,” Weller said. “You just have to mix it up to keep the birds guessing,” Anderson said of sound-driven deterrents.
Distress calls. Broadcasts of distress calls to lure birds to the source and away from air traffic are hit or miss because not all birds have distress calls. Their effectiveness also depends on the time of year, Anderson said. “You always have to have it integrated with something else.” The sounds could upset or prove annoying to nearby people who hear them more than the birds, Weller said, but distress calls have been used successfully at Dulles International Airport.
Handheld lasers. In the wrong hands, lasers are a threat to aviation safety with serious legal consequences for people who break the law. But the FAA also recognizes that lasers can help create separation between birds and aircraft. “They can be very effective if used correctly and for the right species,” Weller said. An FAA advisory governs outdoor laser operations.
Learn more about how the FAA researches and manages wildlife on or near airports.
