Raptors worldwide are attracted to airports. Airplanes strike all types of birds, but some of the most damaging bird strikes are from raptors because of their size and flight patterns. Ramifications of these raptor hits include high aircraft repair costs, untold losses in terms of delays to passengers, and lost revenue while planes are being repaired. Across the globe, airport biologists are now focusing much of their attention on managing raptors to make airports as safe as possible for air traffic.
Find out what Raptors are and why they are in your airfields!
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What is a raptor?
The word Raptors is the umbrella term for any and every bird of prey; this includes eagles, vultures, kites, hawks, and owls. They tend to have large curved beaks and sharp, powerful talons used to catch, kill, and tear off the flesh of their specific prey. Raptors prey on small mammals, other birds, fish, and for many vultures, carcasses of dead animals.
Why are raptors found in airports and its surrounding areas?
Many raptors refuge in airport areas because of their grassy, flat grounded areas with healthy populations of prey species. Abrupt tree cutoff lines at the edge of many airports attract raptors to perch and nest near the runways. This ideal raptor habitat causes recurring conflicts and damages for airplanes and airports.
Different regions of the world hosts a variety of raptors. Weather and geographical landscapes provide different attractants for these birds to the runway.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, a region synonymous with water, islands, and tropical coastlines attracts specialized fishing raptors. In Singapore, the white bellied sea eagle, Brahminy kite, and osprey are found around the country’s airports.
South Asia
In particular, Kathmandu, Nepal, is ideal for vultures. All nine vultures that are native to South Asia can be found in the airport, including the white-rumped vulture and Indian vulture. The birds can be seen circling the valley scouring for food on the ground, especially near the city’s landfill area, which is only a few kilometres away from the airport.
Africa
Oribi Airport outside of Durban, South Africa commonly observes raptors including the lanner falcon, yellow-billed kite, and African harrier-hawk. The raptor species that call the African continent home are a diverse group. Owls, hawks, kites, and eagles are common, but also large numbers of vultures and vulture species.
Namibian’s two largest airports have recently released data showing the large vulture-aircraft collision hotspot areas for small commercial aircraft flight paths. An Airlink plane suffered a collision with a hooded vulture that was embedded in the fuselage of the Embraer ERJ-135 on route to Johannesburg after an impact with the nose cone causing an emergency landing.
North America
Common airport raptors include the bald eagle, black vulture, and American kestrel among multiple hawk species. The red-tailed hawk is one of the most common raptors across the continent; during 1966−2011, red-tailed hawk populations increased annually by 1.9% in the United States.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport saw red-tailed hawks account for 19% of their adverse effect bird strikes from 2016-2020, the highest percentage of a single bird species. In Chicago, raptors are the most commonly struck bird guild accounting for 25% of all damaging strikes in 2011.
Europe
Throughout the continent, Eurasian kestrels and Eurasian buzzards have notoriously caused airplane damages. In Germany alone, falcons, particularly kestrels, account for 13 % and buzzards approximately 15 % of airport bird strikes. Other notable raptors throughout the continent include the black and red kite.
Oceania
Australia’s largest eagle is the wedge-tailed eagle, but other common raptors include the black kite, white-bellied sea eagle, and spotted harrier. In 2019, an eagle hit the outside casing of an engine on VH-EBE. The plane circled and returned back to Perth after just 15 minutes in the air.
Worldwide
Three notable raptor species have range maps that reach every continent apart from Antarctica: the peregrine falcon, barn owl, and osprey. Peregrine falcons have adapted very well to city life across the world. New York, Chicago, London, Melbourne, and other cities have healthy populations of falcons in their cities and airports.
Raptor species worldwide are always going to find airports as a place to hunt of prey, nest, and migrate through. The importance of identifying the correct species of raptor can help airports create specialty management programs to help both the raptors and the airplanes safely.
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