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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Prevention and Wildlife Management Handbook Authors: ACI World Operational Safety Subcommittee In collaboration with: Bureau de travaux et d’études en environnement (BTEE) First edition 2005

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ACI Bird Wildlife Hazard Manual 2005

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Page 1: ACI Bird Wildlife Hazard Manual

Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Authors:ACI World Operational Safety Subcommittee In collaboration with:Bureau de travaux et d’études en environnement (BTEE)

First edition 2005

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

AIRPORTSCOUNCILINTERNATIONAL

First edition 2005

AerodromeBirdHazardPrevention

andWildlifeManagementHandbook

PUBLISHEDBYACIWORLDHEADQUARTERS•GENEVA•SWITZERLAND

Authors: ACIWorldOperationalSafetySubcommittee Incollaborationwith: Bureaudetravauxetd’étudesenenvironnement(BTEE)

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Disclaimer

Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

The information contained in thispublication is subjecttoconstantreviewinthelightofchangingrequirementsand regulations.No subscriberor other reader shouldactonthebasisofanysuchinformationwithoutreferringtoapplicablelawsandregulationsand/orwithouttakingappropriate professional advice. Although every efforthas been made to ensure accuracy, Airports CouncilInternational(ACI)shallnotbeheldresponsibleforlossor damage caused by errors, omissions, misprints ormisinterpretationofthecontentshereof.FurthermoreACIexpresslydisclaimsallandany liability toanyperson,whetherapurchaserofthispublicationornot,inrespectofanythingdoneoromitted,and the consequencesofanythingdoneoromitted,byanysuchpersoninrelianceonthecontentsofthispublication.

NopartoftheWildlifeHazardManagementHandbookmaybereproduced,recast,reformattedortransmittedinanyformbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recordingoranyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfrom:

Director,Technical/SafetyAirportsCouncilInternational

P.O.Box161215Geneva15-Airport

Switzerland

DISCLAIMER

Copiesofthispublicationareavailablefrom:

PublicationsDepartmentAirportsCouncilInternationalP.O.Box161215Geneva15AirportSwitzerlandTel.+41227178585Fax.+41227178888Email:[email protected]

©2005AirportsCouncilInternationalAllrightsreserved

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Contents

Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Foreword

Chapter 1Introductiontobirdandwildlifehazards

Chapter 2Theattractionoftheaerodromeenvironment

Chapter 3Aerodromehabitatmanagement

Chapter 4Birdhazardandwildlifemanagementinthevicinityoftheaerodrome

Chapter 5Activemethodsofscaringandcontrollingbirds

Chapter 6Organizationofwildlifemanagementonaerodromes

Chapter 7Controlofmammals

Chapter 8Reportingandrecordkeeping

Chapter 9Conclusions

Appendix AActivitiescoveredbyawildlifehazardpreventionoperative

Appendix BReferences,sourcesandinternetsites

CONTENTS

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Foreword4

Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Safetyisthetoppriorityfortheairtransportindustry.

ACIisproudtopresentthisnewHandbookonWildlifeHazardManagement.MostofthematerialitcontainshasbeendistilledfromexcellentguidancematerialavailablefromseverallargeCivilAviationAuthoritiesaroundtheworld,aswellasICAOmaterial,anditbuildsontheexistingACIguidanceintheACIPolicyHandbook.Whileremainingshortandsuccinct,itprovideschecklistsforaction,aswellasanexplanationofriskstobeassessedandmeansofmitigationavailable.Asstatedinthetext,localriskassessmentsareinevitablynecessary.

ThissubjectisclearlyofgreatimportancetoAirportOperators,whowanttoavoidormitigateallforeseeablerisksofaccidentsoccurring-therearealsoimportantliabilityissuesincaseofanaccident.TheserisksandissueshavebeendiscussedmanytimesatACIconferencesandcommitteemeetings-therefore,ACIfeelsthatithastheresponsibilitytoputforwardaguidetobestpractice,toassistitsmembers.ItformspartofacoordinatedapproachtoSafetyManagementSystems;thatACIrecommendstoitsmembers.

ACIwouldliketoacknowledgethecontributionsofseveralmainauthors,notablyAndrewBadhamofBAAplc.AmajorreviewofthecontentwasconductedbyStéphanePilletofBTEE,aspecialistconsultancy located inSwitzerland,andby IanWitterofBAAplc.Wewouldliketothanktheseindividualsparticularly,aswellasothermembersoftheACIOperationalSafetySub-committeewhohavereviewedandeditedthecontents.

WecommendthisHandbooktoyourattention.

RobertJ.AaronsonDirectorGeneral

FOREWORD

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Introduction

Wildlife,andparticularlybirds,isaknownhazardtoaircraft.Thedamagecausedtobothcivilandmilitaryaviationworldwidebywildlife,whetherbirdsormammals, isnotanewphenomenon. Foras longaspoweredflighthasexisted, incidents involvingwildlifehavebeenrecorded.Intheearlydaystheriskofbirdorwildlifestrikestoaircraftwasperceivedtobeminorduetolownumbersofmovements;however,withincreasingaircraftmovementsworldwide,incidentsinvolvingwildlifehavebecomeasignificantproblemataerodromes.Birdsarenottheonlyspeciesconstitutingahazardforairtraffic.Thepresenceofmammalsnearoronmanyaerodromesthroughouttheworldiswelldocumented.Statisticsshowthattherewereover430collisionsbetweenaircraftanddeerintheUnitedStatesbetween1990and1999.Incertaincases,thepresenceofstraydogsorothermammalscanalsogiverisetoproblems.Overtheyearssomeaircraftcollisionswithbirdsandmammalshavebeenfatal,withthefirstaccidentrecordedinNorthAmericain1912.CalRodgers,thefirstpilottocrosstheUnitedStatesfromEasttoWest,losthislifewhenaseagullbecamecaughtupinhiscontrols,causinghisaircrafttocrash.Sincethen,over360peoplehavelosttheirlivesinaccidentsattributedtowildlifestrikes,includingbothcivilandmilitaryaircraft.

Intermsofcosts,thedamagecausedtoaircraftbywildlifestrikesamountstomillionsofdollarseveryyearfortheairlineindustry.Toillustratethispoint,itisestimatedthatwildlifeandbirdstrikescosttheUScivilandmilitaryaviationindustryover$600millionannually.

Thethreattomodernaircraftfrombirdstrikesistakenseriouslybytheaeronauticalindustry.Currentaircraftdesignmeansthatmanyaircraftonlyhavetwoengines,oftenoflargefandia-meter,whichmaycontributetotheirvulnerabilitytobirdstrikes.Howevercertificationstandardshavebeentightenedovertheyearstoimprovemodernaircraft’sresistancetosuchthreats.

1.1.0.

1.1.1.

1.1.2.

1.1.3.

1.1.4.

CHAPTER 1Introductiontobirdandwildlifehazards

Wildlife prevention isan important element

of the operationsof all airport

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Technicalchangesandthedevelopmentofairtransport,whichispredictedtogrowoverthecomingyears,combinedwithincreasesinthepopulationsofsomewildlifeincloseproximitytooronaerodromesworldwide,needtobegivenspecialattentionbyaerodromeoperatorsandallotherpartiesinvolveddirectlyorindirectlyincontrollingthishazard.

Aerodromesareattractive tobirdsandwildlifebecauseof theavailabilityof food,water,habitat,andbreedingsites.StatisticsforeachaerodromeandeachcountryarecompiledbytheICAOBirdStrikeInformationSystem(IBIS).Ithasbeenshownthatthemajorityofbirdstrikesoccuratanaltitudeofbelow1000feet,with50%ofbirdstrikesrecordedthroughouttheworldoccurringbelow100feet.

Some90%ofbirdstrikestakeplaceatorinthedirectvicinityofaerodromes,eitherduringtaxi,takeoff,orlanding,comparedwith10%ofbirdstrikesoccurringwhileaircraftareatcruisingaltitudes.Astheflightphasesoflandingandtakeoffareconsideredtobethemostdelicate,theriskposedbybirdstrikesarethereforemostsignificantontheaerodromeandwithintheadjacentareas.Thesefiguresillustrateeffectivelytheresponsibilityaerodromeoperators have in relation to the prevention of bird hazards and the management ofwildlife.

Timeofdayisanothersignificantfactorindeterminingstrikeoccurrence.Ingeneral,70%ofallbirdstrikesoccurduringdaylight,25%ofthesetakeplaceatdawnorduskand15%atnight.Attimesofseriousbirdstrikehazardairportsarerecommendedtoadvisepilotsoftheincreasedriskthroughtheuseofappropriatenotificationsasdescribedinsection6.1.11.

Thelevelofriskrelatedtoaircraftstrikingbirdsand/orwildlifeisuniquetoeachaerodrome.Variousfactorsinfluencethisrisk,includingthenumberofaircraftmovements,thelocationof the aerodrome, the bird/wildlife populations and the individual bird’s behaviour. For

1.1.5.

1.1.6.

The cost to aviation ofa bird strike can be highand can often immobilise

the aircraft

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

exampleifthebirdsareonthegroundoff-airporttheyposenorisk,howeveriftheyarefeedingintheareadirectlyadjacent to therunwaytheyposeagreatrisk.Thenaturalenvironmentwithintheaerodromeboundaryandinitsdirectvicinitywill,toalargeextent,determinethepresenceandabundanceofbird/wildlifepopulationsandtheirhabits(sedentary,migratory,breeding,etc.).

Aerodromeownersandoperatorsarelegallyresponsibleforminimisingtheriskofaircraftcollidingwithbirds/wildlife.Operatorsmustensurethattheaerodromeenvironmentissafeforaeronauticalactivity.Ifariskrelatedtothepresenceofbirds/wildlifeisdemonstrated,theoperatorhas toadoptnecessarycontroland safetymeasures. A suitableecologicalstudyinrelationtothebird/wildlifepopulationsshouldformthebasisforimplementingbothpro-activepreventativeandshorttermre-activemeasures.

InternationalCivilAviationOrganization-Requirements

ICAO Annex 14, Aerodromes, (Chapter 9.4) contains three provisions on bird hazardreductionquotedbelow.Theyare:Thebirdstrikehazardon,orinthevicinityof,anaerodromeshallbeassessedthrough:(a) theestablishmentofanationalprocedureforrecordingandreportingbirdstrikestoair craft;and(b) thecollectionofinformationfromaircraftoperators,aerodromepersonnel,etc.onthe presenceofbirdsonoraroundtheaerodromeconstitutingapotentialhazardtoaircraft operations.BirdstrikereportsshallbecollectedandforwardedtoICAOforinclusionintheICAOBirdStrikeInformationSystem(IBIS)database.

– The IBIS is designed to collect and disseminate information on bird strikes to aircraft. Information on the system is included in the Manual on the ICAO Bird Strike Information System (IBIS).

Whenabirdstrikehazardisidentifiedatanaerodrome,theappropriateauthorityshalltakeactiontodecreasethenumberofbirdsconstitutingapotentialhazardtoaircraftope-rationsbyadoptingmeasuresfordiscouragingtheirpresenceon,orinthevicinityof,anaerodrome.

– Guidance on effective measures for establishing whether or not birds, on or near an aerodrome, constitute a potential hazard to aircraft operations, and on methods for discou-raging their presence, is given in the Airport Services Manual, Part 3.

Theappropriateauthority shall takeaction toeliminateor toprevent theestablishmentofgarbagedisposaldumpsoranysuchothersourceattractingbirdactivityon,orinthevicinityof,anaerodromeunlessanappropriateaeronauticalstudyindicatesthattheyareunlikelytocreateconditionsconducivetoabirdhazardproblem.

– Due consideration needs to be given to airport operators’ concerns related to land developments close to the airport boundary that may attract birds/wildlife.

1.1.7.

1.2.0.

1.2.1.

9.4.1.

9.4.2.

Note.

9.4.3.

Note.

9.4.4.

Note.

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

ICAOprovidesadditionalguidanceonbirdstrikehazardandbirdcontrolmeasuresinitsAirport Services Manual, Part 3, Bird Control and Reduction.Further informationon theICAOIBISprogramcanbeobtainedintheManual on the ICAO Bird Strike Information System (IBIS),Doc.9332.

OtherICAOdocumentsthataddressthebirdstrikehazardincludethePlanning Manual, Part 1, Master Planning,Doc.9184.Thismanualhighlightsthepotentialofbirdhazardsinthechapterdealingwithaerodromesiteevaluationandselection.TheAirportPlanning Manual, Part 2, Land Use and Environmental Control,Doc.9184,alsodiscussestheissueoflocalfloraandfaunainthechapterdealingwithecologicalconsiderations.

Othernationalguidancedocuments

Significantdocumentationonbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementthroughouttheworldhasbeenpublished.Certainstateshaveadoptednationalguidancedocuments,whileanumberofaerodromeoperatorshaveissuedverypreciseinstructionsconcerningtheir sites. Ingeneral, thesedocuments containdetailedanduseful information.Care isneverthelessrequiredwhenconsultingsuchdocuments,whicharetheresultofanalysesatthenationallevelorataspecificaerodrome,astheirconclusions,cannotbereplicatedinanothercountryorsitewithoutprioranalysisandexpertadvice.

Beforeanymeasureswhatsoeverareadopted,thehazardsrelatedtotheuniquesituationof eachaerodromehave to be assessed throughan ecological study of the aerodromeconcerned.Examplesoffourwildlifehazardmanagementmanualsarelistedbelow:

(1) Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports,producedjointlybytheFederalAviation AdministrationandtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture-1999;(2) Wildlife Control Procedures Manual,producedbyTransportCanada-2001;(3) Aerodrome Bird Control (CAP 680),producedbytheUnitedKingdomCivilAviation Authority-2002;(4) Manuel de prevention du péril aviaire de l’Aéroport International de Genève (MPPA), publishedbythemanagementofGenevaInternationalAirport-2003.

AdditionalusefulreferencesandsourcesaretobefoundinAppendixB.

1.2.2.

1.2.3.

1.3.0.

1.3.1.

The Wildlife HazardManagement Manual

of Geneva International Airport

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

AirportsCouncilInternational(ACI)-Guidance

Theaimof thisACIhandbook is toprovide further informationofamoredetailednaturetoenhance thegeneralguidance,containedin theACI Policy Handbook,onbirdhazardprevention and wildlife management at aerodromes. This handbook is intended to assistaerodromeoperatorsintheassessmentofbirdandwildlifehazardsattheiraerodromesandtheadoptionofappropriatesafetymeasures.

ACI’sgeneralguidanceiscurrentlysetoutintheACI Policy Handbookunderthefollowingthreemainheadings.ThetextbelowshowstheoriginalversionoftheACIPolicies,initalics,extractedfromtheACIPolicyHandbook(ForthEdition,2003)aswellasanupdatedversion,developedwhiledraftingthismanualthatreflectschangesinlegislatureandrequirementsbyauthoritiesaswellasbringingmorepreciseguidancetoaerodromeoperators.

Wildlifemanagementatairports–Operationalaspects

Original Text:

Despite determined environmental management efforts, it is likely that some wildlife hazards will remain. Since the safety of flight is always the first priority, such hazards must be mana-ged.

Operational measures at airports should include constant vigilance by the airport operator, an adequate patrolling and reporting scheme, and an expert threat evaluation capability within a specialist unit, which should work closely with aircraft operators and other bodies concerned. When a hazardous situation is identified, the patrol unit of the airport operator should immediately adopt discouragement measures, on a 24-hour basis.

A large part of the threat at most airports relates to birds, and threats from both local and migratory birds should be considered. Bird dispersal devices such as pyrotechnic devices, distress call simulators including the ultrasonic range, falconry and visual scaring methods should be considered. These methods should be used whenever necessary, rather than at regular times to which birds may become habituated. The aim should be a constant distur-bance of birds’ feeding rhythms and roosting opportunities. Finally, and only when deemed an absolute necessity, birds may be eliminated.

All control measures should be subject to regular examination and safety audit, and wildlife control staff should be trained and motivated. Innovative technological developments in sca-ring techniques such as stroboscopic lights on aircraft should be tested and adopted, if found suitable. Records should be kept of all bird strikes, for reporting under the ICAO IBIS system. All dead birds should be recorded, whether or not they can be associated with a reported incident to an aircraft. Incidents involving other animals should also be recorded, where these constitute a threat to the safety of aircraft.

Outside the airport, measures should include analysis of the situation with regard to wildlife populations and distribution in the vicinity of the airport, types of species and their behaviour, taking account of changes in the physical environment. The maintenance of perimeter fencing in good condition should also give protection against threats from large mammals.

1.4.0.

1.4.1.

1.4.2.

1.4.3.

1.4.4.

1.4.5.

1.4.6.

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Revised Text:

Airportoperatorshave toremainpermanentlyvigilant toassess therisk inreal timeandtake thenecessarymeasures immediately. It is crucialeither to implementabirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementunit,orspeciallytrainedandequippedstaffthatcanmanagewildlifeontheaerodrome.Thisunit,orstaffmembers,shouldconstantlymonitorthedevelopmentoftheriskthroughsiteobservationandshouldtakeappropriatemeasurestoscareawayspeciesthatconstituteariskandimplementmorelongtermpro-activemeasureswhichpreventsuchhazardoussituationsfromre-occurring.

Ingeneral,thegreatestthreatrelatedtowildlifeiscausedbybirds,althoughtheriskrelatedtomammalsshouldnotbeunderestimated.Birdsmayberesidentormigratory,whichmightalsohaveamajorimpactontherisklevelandthewaysinwhichitneedstobeaddressedmosteffectively.

Aerodromes have to equip themselves with bird dispersal devices, such as pyrotechnics,acousticandvisualsystems.Theseconsistofcartridgesandshellcrackers,aswellasaudiosystemstoproducenoiseandbirddistresscalls.Incertaincases,theuseofnaturalpredators,i.e.falconryortheuseofbordercolliedogs(perceivedbybirdsasnaturalpredators)mayprovetobeaninterestingoption.

Sometimesitmaybenecessarytoremovecertainspecies,althoughinmostcasesthismethodhasshownitslimitations,asthebirdsthataretargetedmaybereplacedbyanevengreaternumberofindividuals.Suchremovalofbirdscanonlytakeplacewiththepriorknowledgeandapproval(permitsissued)bylocalgovernmentalnatureconservationandenvironmentalauthorities.

Theuseofallscaringmethodshastobecarriedoutinanappropriatemannertoavoidanyhabituationbybirds,whichwouldconsiderablyrestrict the long-termeffectivenessofsuchmethods.

Tobeeffective,aerodromeoperatorsmayfindexpertopinion,includingabaselineaudit,useful if making significant changes to bird hazard prevention procedures, which shouldbeadaptedtothespecificsituationofeachaerodrome.Wildlifecontroloperativeshavetobetrainedandmotivated.Technologicaldevelopmentsshouldbemonitoredforcontinuousadaptationtotheactivemeasuresused.Theenvironmentalmonitoringofthesiteshould,inturn,providethebasisfortheadaptationorintroductionofnewpassivelongtermecologicalmeasures.Regularauditsneedtobecarriedouttomonitortheeffectivenessoftheactiveandpassivewildlifemanagementmethodsadoptedataerodromes.

1.4.7.

1.4.8.

1.4.9.

Even an effective wildlife preventionprogram is prone to vulnerabilities

– intervention of the emergencyservices on an A330 that ingested

a bird on take off(photo: BTEE)

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Thecompilationofprecisestatisticsofwildlifeobservationsandwildlifestrikesshouldallowforeffectiveanalysisofthedataandhelpimprovewildlifehazardmanagement.Thecollecteddatashouldbeincludedininternationalstatistics,suchastheICAOIBISsystem.

Naturalenvironmentsandagriculturalactivitiesinthevicinityoftheaerodromeshouldalsobemonitoredby theaerodrome staff responsible forbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagement. Depending on the region, airport authorities may have the possibility toparticipateandbeconsultedinthemanagementofareaswithinapredefinedradiusandinthevicinityoftheairfield.Itisgenerallyagreedthataradiusof13km/8milesbeconsideredforconstantmonitoring.

Theaerodromesiteshouldbefencedto limit thepossibilityofmammalsontheairfieldasmuchaspossible. Wherepossible, the fence shouldbeburiedundergroundand slopedoutwardtofurtherpreventmammalsfromeasilydiggingthroughunderneaththefence.

Wildlifemanagementatairports–EnvironmentalaspectsOriginal Text:

Airports attract a wide range of wildlife, including birds and domestic livestock, which pose a serious safety threat to aviation in the vicinity of airports and as a consequence must be controlled. At most airports, the most serious wildlife threat to aviation is likely to arise from birds.

Critical safety zones for aircraft operations, as defined in ICAO Annex 14, extend well beyond an airport’s property boundary. Sites outside these critical safety zones can give rise to wildlife activity on the airport itself. Land uses such as solid waste dumps, lakes, marshes, wetlands, reservoirs, recreational facilities, conservation areas etc., which may attract wildlife, should be discouraged or, if unavoidable, should be rigorously managed with aviation safety in mind. In some countries the implementation of such measures may necessitate the adoption of appropriate laws. Dialogue between local authorities and airport operators regarding wildlife hazard assessment should be encouraged in this respect, and local authorities should be encouraged to consult with airport operators prior to planning any changes in land use.

Within the airport boundary control is best exercised by denying wildlife access through the effective use of fences and other barriers. Where this is not feasible, habitat management, including grass management, should be employed to minimize the attractiveness of airport lands to wildlife. Passive measures of wildlife control, however, may not be sufficient in all circumstances and active harassment programs may be required. Only as a measure of last resort in the vital interest of safety should elimination be employed.

While aviation safety must remain of paramount importance, all airport wildlife management measures employed should be implemented in accordance with the best principles of respon-sible environmental stewardship.

1.4.10.

1.4.11.

1.4.12.

1.4.13.

1.4.14.

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Airportsafetymanagementsystems

Original Text:

ACI recommends that airport operators should move away from the simple monitoring of compliance with rules and regulations to the development of a safety management system. Such systems have been implemented in many industries, and consist of a cyclical process, including: setting a written safety policy (this should identify hazards and risks); organizing and training staff, establishing a safety culture and communication systems; planning and setting standards, including the effective control of risks; and performance management, including active monitoring of compliance and reactive monitoring of incidents.

Self control should be the basic principle underlying all safety of work routines at airports. All personnel should be aware of and adhere to the standards for their work and be responsible for and control their own work. The necessary pre-conditions include the existence of standards and procedures set by the management, and their notification to and acceptance by personnel. This is a management responsibility.

ACI recommends that safety audits be carried out regularly to ensure that international as well as national and local procedures and standards are fully observed. Audits, in cooperation with local management and personnel, are an effective method of checking the actual level of safety, whereas the traditional system of checks carried out by roving inspectors does not necessarily detect flaws or hazards. The establishment of a regular audit process is a vital element of a safety management system.

RevisedText:

ACIrecommendsthataerodromesestablishasafetymanagementandauditsystemcoveringallprocesses considered tobecritical foranaerodrome.Abirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementprogrammustbeanintegralpartofthesafetymanagementsystem(SMS)andconstitutesaprocessinitsownright.

Aerodromesshouldadoptasimplesystemformonitoringcompliancewithregulationsthroughthedevelopmentofa formalSMS.Suchsystemshavebeen introduced inmany industries

1.4.16.

1.4.17.

1.4.18.

1.4.19.

1.4.20.

Wildlife on the aerodrome andits surrounding environment hasto be considered – a Black Kite

(Milvus migans) above the aerodrome(photo: Christian Béchir)

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andconsistofacyclicalprocess,includingtheestablishmentofawrittensafetypolicy,theappointment of risk prevention personnel, the adoption of organizational measures andstafftraining,theestablishmentofasafetyprocess,communications,planningsystemsandstandards,includingtheeffectivecontrolofrisksandmethodsofimplementation,aswellasactivecompliancemonitoringandreactivemonitoringofincidents.

ACIalsorecommendsthatsafetyauditsshouldbecarriedoutregularlytoensurethatinter-national,nationalandlocalproceduresandstandardsareapplied.AlltheelementsofabirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementprocessshouldbeanintegralpartoftheSMSandbecoveredbytheauditprocess.

IfbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementareconsideredtobeanintegralpartoftheAerodrome’ssafetymanagementsystem,considerationshouldbegiventothefollowingquestions: • Hasascientificbirdandwildliferiskassessmentbeenconducted? • Hasascientificbiologicalstudyofthesites(onandaroundtheaerodrome)andof thebirdsandwildlifepresentbeenconducted? • Isthereabirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementprogram? • Istheairporthabitatmanagedasfaraspossibletoreducetheattractivenesstobirds? • Isaseniormanagerresponsibleforwildlifemanagement? • Havestaffbeenrecruitedandtrainedspecificallyinwildlifemanagement? • Haveanyoperationalproceduresandstatisticalsystemsbeenestablished? •Does the aerodrome operator have contacts with the local authorities and local landownersconcerningwildlifemanagement?

Iftheanswerstothesequestionsarenegative,abirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemana-gementprogramshouldbeestablished.

It is suggested that a preliminary assessment undertaken by specialists, trained in bothbiologyandaeronautics,shouldbeabletoprovideresponsestothesequestionsthroughproposalsadaptedtothespecificaerodrome.Thisassessmentshouldtaketheformofaninitialaudittoidentifythespecificsituationoftheaerodrome,bothintermsofaeronauticalandwildlifeissues,andtoproposemeasuresthatarespecificallyadaptedtotheriskandtheneedsoftheaerodromeconcerned.

1.4.21.

1.4.22.

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WildlifeHazardRiskAssessment

Inordertomakeanobjectiveassessmentofthepotentialhazardpresentedbywildlifeitisreasonabletoapplythesameriskassessmentprocessthatappliesacrossmanyaspectsofairfieldoperations.

Birdstrikerecordswillbeneededtoanalysehowmanybirdshavebeenstruckandexactlywhatspeciesofbirdhavebeeninvolvedinincidentsoveranumberofyears.Countingthetotalstrikesforeachspeciesovera3or5yearperiodgivesameasureofprobabilityofstrikeshappeningagaininthefuture.Toprioritisewhichspeciesaremoreimportantitissensibletoidentifywhichspeciescausemoredamagetoaircraft.Largerspecies,suchasCanadaGeeseorSwan,maybeina“veryhigh”categorywhereassmallerbirdssuchasHouseSparrow,BarnSwalloworMeadowPipitmaybeina“verylow”category.

Once this table is populated with data it soon becomes apparent which are the priorityspeciesforfurtherriskreduction–i.e.thosemoredamagingspeciesmorefrequentlyinvolvedinbirdstrikes.Targetedactionscanthenbedevelopedforthepriorityspecies.Reviewsonanannualbasiswillthenrevealiftheactionstakenarehavingabeneficialeffectinreducingthenumbersofbirdstrikes. Asuggestedtableisasfollows:

CHAPTER 2Theattractionoftheaerodromeenvironment

General aviation is alsovulnerable to the threatposed by bird strikes.

2.1.0.

2.1.1.

Very Low

Low

Moderate

High

Very High

Very LowLowModerateHighVery High

SEVERITY PROBABILITY

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Green No further action required beyond measures currently in place.Amber The current residual risk requires a review of available options and possible action.Red The current residual risk requires further action to reduce it.

Thiscanbepopulatedusingthefollowingsuggestedcriteria:

Usingthemethodologyoutlinedabove,oronesimilartoit,willassistinprioritisingactionstofurtherreducetheresidualriskfrompriorityspecies.Methodsofachievingthisinclude; • reducingtheattractionoftheaerodrometobirds •byhabitatmanagement •byactivebirddetectionanddispersal • understandingandtakingactionifnecessarytoreducetheattractivenessoflocalsites inthevicinityoftheaerodrome.

Theattractionoftheaerodromeenvironment

Thepresenceofmanybirdsandmammalswithintheaerodromeperimeterisrelatedtotheexistenceofsourcesoffood,waterandshelter,includingplacestorest,nestandassemble,orwhichoffersecurity.Contrarytofirstimpressions,thesidesofanaerodromerunwayofferaquietareaforwildlifeduetothelowlevelofhumanpresenceandinterference.

The many signs on apron areas and runways offer convenient perches for birds. Thepresenceofnumerousbuildingsandhangarscanalsoprovidesuitablenestingsitesforcertainspecies.

Probability category Very LowLowModerateHighVery High

No. Strikes per year(airport data)

>10 3-10 1-2.9 0.3-0.9 0.2-0

Severity category Very LowLowModerateHighVery High

Percentage of strikes causing damage(national data)

>20% 10-20% 6-9.9% 2-5.9% 0-1.9%

Level 1Level 2Level 3

2.1.2.

2.2.0.

2.2.1.

A risk based approach cangreatly reduce the threat of

wildlife strikes – aircraft landing gear and tires after a wildlife

strike and emergency breaking

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Itisthereforenecessarytoidentifyandevaluatethevariousattractantssothattheycanbereducedoreliminatedmoreeffectively,therebyachievingalong-termsolutiontotheproblemofbird/wildlifestrikes.

Foraslongasthereareattractantswithintheaerodromeperimeter,therewillbeacontinuingneedtouseactivepreventionmeasures(scaring,dispersal,elimination),asthesamespecieswillalwaysreturnorarereplacedbyotherpopulations.However,iftheaerodromeenviron-mentismadelessattractivetobirdsandmammals,theywillseektheirneedselsewhereandtheresidentwildlifepopulationwilldeclinesignificantly,alongwiththenumberofbirdandanimalstrikes.Bymodifyingthehabitat,itisthereforepossibletomodifyboththequantityandthetypeofspeciesactiveonthesite.

Wildlife (birds, insects,mammals,etc.) tendtobepresentonaerodromesbecause theyoffer a favourable habitat and resting and feeding areas. Habitat modification is theprimarypassivemeansofbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagement. Itmaybethemosteffectiveofallthemeasurestaken,asitisintentionallydesignedtomodifyandmanagetheaerodromeenvironmenttomakeitlessattractivetoproblematicspecies.

Inthefirstplace,itisnecessarytobeabletoidentifythemainattractantsontheaerodromeandtheassociatedspecies.However,dependingonchangesinthespeciespresent,suchasanincreaseinpopulationsoradeclineduringthemigratoryperiodduetometeorologicalconditions,itisnecessarytoensurethatthemeasurestakenaremonitoredandadaptedtoneeds.Theperceptionthatcurrentmethodswillstillbeeffectiveintenyearstimewillisnotalwaystrue.Theprincipalrequirementsfulfilledbytheaerodromesiteforwildlife,andinparticularforbirds,areasfollows: • food • anestingsite •water • arestingplace • shelter • asafeassemblypoint •perchingsites

2.2.2.

2.2.3.

The presence of berries isan attractant to birds on

aerodromes – these should belimited to reduce the hazard

Plants that produce grains canbe an attractant to small mammalsas well as birds – small mammals

can attract larger ones andtherefore increase the hazard

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Habitat modification within the aerodrome should be aimed primarily at species thatrepresent thegreatesthazard toaircraftdue to theirsize,continualpresence,flockingnatureorbehaviour. The riskassessmentprocess explained in section2.1.1assists inidentifyingpriorityspecies. Itmayalsobeuseful tofirstcarryoutecologicalstudiesoftheaerodromesitetoidentifytheenvironmentsandspeciesofconcern.Ascalecouldbeestablishedforthelevelofthehazardsoastocategorizeallthespeciesfoundontheaerodrome.Thesepreliminarystudiesthenhavetobetransformedintoamonitoringprocesssoastobeabletoanticipateanynewchangesthatarenecessaryintheshortterm.

Also,continuedmonitoringwillbeneededof thevariousattractantswithintheaerodromeandthemethodsidentifiedtoreduceorremovetheminordertoevaluatetheireffectiveness.

The aerodrome ecological assessment is a useful tool for the establishment of effectivewildlife hazard prevention. It is recommended that ecological studies be continuedthroughoutallseasonsasameanstomonitortheairfieldhabitat.Ecologicalstudies,whichalsocovertheimmediatevicinityoftheaerodrome,shouldmakeitpossibletoanswerthefollowingquestions:

• Howmanyindividualsofaparticularspeciesareinthearea? • Whatspeciesarepresent? • Wherearethevariousspecieslocated? • Whyaresuchspeciesthere? • Whataretheirmovementpatternsinrelationtotheaerodromeandthe trajectoryofaircraftflightpaths?

Ecological studiesshouldalso includedataon thegeography,hydrology,soils,climate,vegetation,buildingdesign,birdandother species in the region,aswell asonhumanactivities,suchasagricultureandwastedisposal.Suchresearchisusefultogainabetterunderstandingof theproblemofbirdandwildlifestrikesandwillalsoprovidethebasicinformation required toexplain thepresenceofbirdsandmammalswhicharea threattoaerodromesafety.Itwillalsosuggestideasforthemethodsthatcanbeusedforhabitatmodificationwithaviewtoimprovingthesituationthroughpassiveandpro-activepreventionmeasures.

Inthedesignofnewaerodromes,considerationshouldbegivenfromtheveryoutsettotheproblemofbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagement.Iftheseaspectsaretakenintoaccountfromtheverybeginningoftheproject,wildlifehazardsandtheactivemeasuresthathavetobetakenwhenoperatingtheaerodromewillundoubtedlybereducedasmuchaspossible.

Foodasanattractant

Anaerodromehasthepotentialtoofferagreatvarietyoffoodsourcestobirds/wildlife.Themainsourcesoffoodforbirdsandotheranimalsare: • naturalvegetation,suchasfruitbushesandtrees,seed-producingplantsandgrasses, greenweeds,aquaticvegetationandgrain; • densepopulationsofrodentsorbirds,aswellasinsectsandearthworms;and • rubbish/garbage/waste.

2.2.4.

2.2.5.

2.2.7.

2.3.0.

2.3.1.

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Mostaerodromespotentiallyofferanabundanceof food forwildlife. The soil isoftenleftuntreatedandsourcesof foodaremultipleandvaried.Smallmammalsarehighlyappreciatedaspotentialpreybymanybirds,includingdayandnightraptors(birdsofprey)locatednearorfarfromaerodromes.

At certain periods of the year, amphibiansmay, through their presence or their eggs,constituteasourceoffoodformanyspecies.

Finally, theproductionof seedsbyherbaceousplants,particularly themanyspeciesofgraminaceousplants,providesafavourablesourceoffoodforgranivorousbirdspecies.

If thepresenceofbirdsalongsiderunwaysis tobedecreasedsubstantially, it isnecessaryto take action mainly at the source by reducing their food supply. The use of pesticidesandherbicidesmaybea solution in some cases.However, it is first necessary to ensurethattheirusedoesnothavesecondarynegativeeffectsontheenvironmentandthatitisincompliancewiththelocallegislation.Theinappropriateuseofchemicalscanhavecatastrophicconsequences on predators weakened by the ingestion of contaminated prey, therebyincreasingthewildlifehazard.

With regard to voles and insects, the only approaches that can be envisaged are themodificationoftheenvironmentorareductionintheavailabilityoftheirfood.Inthecaseofamphibians,itisabsolutelynecessarytoeliminatetemporaryandpermanentwetareasontheaerodromebydrainingorfillingthem.

2.3.2.

The botanic diversity of anaerodrome can play a role in

attracting wildlife to anaerodrome – attractive food

sources should be limited(Photo: BTEE)

The presence of birds withslow reflexes on the runway or

surrounding movement areas can greatly increase the hazard.

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Agriculturalactivitiesonaerodromes shouldbepreventedandcropsandcultures in theirimmediatevicinitymonitoredandcontrolledinsofaraspossible.Nocultivationorplantingoftreesorshrubsshouldbecarriedoutwithin150metresofthecentreorthesidesoftherunwayoralongsideaccessways.OtherdetailsontheuseoflandoutsidetheaerodromeperimeterareprovidedinChapter4below.

Another favoured food source for birds is waste from human consumption. Apron andcateringareashavetobeproperlymaintainedtoensurethatnofoodisleftbyemployees,passengersorcontractorswhichcanpotentiallybeeasilyaccessibletowildlife.

Rubbishbins shouldbeequippedwithacoverandemptied regularly soasnot toattractwildlife.

Waterasanattractant

Insofaraspossible,verywetlandandstagnantwateronaerodromesshouldbedrained;thepresenceofwaterisamajorfactorinattractingwildlife,andparticularlybirds.

Thepresenceofbodiesofwateroutsidetheaerodromealsogivesrisetoproblems.Whethertheyaremarshes,ponds,lakes,saltmarshes,watersupplyreservoirs,channelsorrivers,theirpresenceincreasesbirdhazardsontheaerodrome,particularlyforaircraftapproachingortakingoff.

The existence of several bodies of water implies numerous bird movements from one toanother,therebyincreasingtheriskofbirdstrikes.

Particularattentionhastobepaidtotheriskofbirdstrikesataerodromessituatedincoastalareasornearestuaries.

Inthecaseoftheconstructionofnewaerodromes,thepresenceofbodiesofwatershouldbeanalysedfromthecommencementofthestudies.

2.3.3.

2.3.4.

2.4.0.

2.4.1.

Water channels can bean attractant for

wildlife – here a waterchannel has been modified

to be less attractive for the local wildlife

(Photos: Incheon International Airport)

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Itisoftendifficultandcostlytoeliminateallwetareasfromanaerodrome.Whereconstructionmeasures,suchasdrainage,cannotbeundertaken,theaccessofwildlifetothesebodiesshouldbelimited.

Theplacingofnetting,scarecrowsorscaringraftscanbeexcellentsolutions,dependingonthespeciespresent.

Aerodromebuildingsandinfrastructure

Buildingsandconstructionsofferaccessholesandcreviceswhichprovideroostingandornestingsitesforbirds.Forcertainspecies,suchassparrows,pigeonsandcrows,whicharewelladaptedtothehumanenvironment,aerodromesareattractivesites.

Architectural analysis of buildings can identify placeswhich canbe usedbybirds. Theeliminationofthesepotentialshelterswilldecreasethenumbersofbirdspresent.Incertaincases,acolonyofbirdsmaybe transferred toamoreappropriatesite.Suchasolutionshouldbestudiedand,ifdeemedappropriate,executedbyspecialists.

In the event of the construction of new buildings, particular attention should be paid toarchitecturaldetailstopreventthemfromofferingaccesstobirds.

Inaircraftmaintenancehangars,specialattentionshouldbepaidtostructureswhichmayoftenhavelargeopeningsallowingaccessbybirds.Birddroppingsareanotherprobleminthesebuildings,astheyarecorrosiveandmaydamagepartsofaircraftthatarebeingmaintained. Droppingscanalsoconstituteaproblemfor thehealthofstaffengagedinaircraftmaintenance.Theuseoffalconrytoscarebirds,evenwithincertainstructures,maybeeffective.

2.4.2.

2.5.0.

2.5.1.

2.5.2.

2.5.3.

Bodies of water on or nearan aerodrome are usually a major attractant to wildlife. Measures need to be taken

to drain or cover these.(Photo: BTEE)

Development of specialisednesting locations for Common

House Martins placed onbuildings away from the

movement area at GenevaInternational Airport

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Manyantennaearenecessaryfortheoperationofanaerodrome.Thesecanbeusedasperches or nesting places. Measures should be taken to prevent the presence of birds,whileensuringthatthematerialsuseddonotaffectthesignalsemittedandreceivedbytheantennae.

Alldilapidatedorruinedbuildingsonorinthedirectvicinityof theaerodromeshouldberepairedordemolished.Thesestructuresareoftencolonizedbymanyspeciesofbirds,whichusethemassheltersandforbreedingpurposes.

Signsandlightsalongrunwaysandtaxiwaysareidealperchesforbirds,andparticularlyraptors,whichuse themasobservationpostswhenhunting.Limiting theiruseasperchescanbeanexcellentsolutiontoreducethepresenceofbirds.Theinstallationofmetalspikespreventsbirdsfromlandingonthem.

2.5.4.

2.5.5.

2.5.6.

Antennas are convenientand safe places for birds

to create their nests(Photo: BTEE)

Communications antennasand other installations canare often used as perches

for colonies of birds

These perches can also beused by solitary birds of prey

Signage can be equippedwith metallic spikes to dissuadebirds from perching on them

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Theaerodromeriskassessment(section2.1.1)identifiesthepriorityspeciesforaction.Thereislittledoubtthatthebestlongtermwildlifecontrolisachievedbymanagingtheaerodromehabitat.Modifying thehabitatmay then involveplacingexclusionnetsoverwaterbodies,removingtreesofspecificattractantsfromtheairfieldorsurroundingsormanagingtheaerodrome grass to be less attractive to birds. Ecological or biodiversity studies mayshowthekeyelementsofthehabitatandallowprioritisationforaction.Maintenanceoftheaerodromeenvironmentthereforeplaysavitalroleinthemanagementofwildlifehazards.

Thetypesofvegetationfoundontheaerodromedependonlocalclimaticandsoilconditions.Vegetation prevents soil erosion caused by water, wind and jet-blast. During aircraftmovementsontherunwayorapron,jet-blastcanraisedustparticlesifthereissparsesoilcoveragebyvegetation.Also,intheeventofanaircraftrunningofftherunway,thegroundhastobeabletosupporttheaircraftandemergency/reliefvehicles.

Aerodromeoperatorsshouldobtainadviceontheseedmixestobeusedforplantingareasalongsidetherunwayandapronareas.Themixshouldpermitdevelopmentofslow-growingplantsproducingaminimumofseeds,toavoidprovidingfoodforbirds,yetwithsufficientregenerationtomaintaingoodsoilcoverage.

All theevidenceshowsthatshortgrassattractsmorebirdsthanlongergrass.Predators,includingraptorsandcertainterrestrialgrasslandbirdspecies,donotliketohuntfortheirprey,particularlysmallmammals,inlonggrass.Whenbirdsarenothunting,theyliketohaveclearall-roundvisiontoavoiddanger.Longergrasscreatesaninsecurityfactoranddiscouragesthemfromlanding,restingornestinginthistypeofgrasslandhabitat.Grassmanagementhastobeadaptedforeachaerodrome.Nogeneralprinciplescanbeadoptedonthissubjectattheinternationallevel.Foraerodromeswithnaturalgrasslands,thegrassshouldbecutwhenitreachesaheightofover15cmandtheuseofmachineswhichmowgrasstogroundlevelshouldbeavoided.

CHAPTER 3Aerodromehabitatmanagement

3.1.1.

3.1.2.

3.1.3.

Reseeding the soil aftermaintenance work hasbeen conducted willattract more birds

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Aerodromes which do not have vegetation covering the soil do not offer much food tobirds,butmayontheotherhandfindthatcertainspeciescometonestdirectlyonthesoil.Possibilitiesforplantcoveragecouldbestudiedtopreventnesting,withoutatthesametimeincreasingfoodsources.

Insuitableenvironments,shouldthegrassqualitydeteriorateovertimeconsiderationshouldbegiventore-seedingtheareaswithappropriategrassspeciestomaintainahealthyuprightsward.

“Longgrass”maintenanceregime

Dependingonthesituationandenvironment,maintaininglonggrassmaybeagoodsolutionforthereductionofbirdhazards.However,thispracticemayhaveothernegativeconsequences.First,theriskrelatedtomammalsmaybeincreasedbyprovidingshelterforavarietyofspecies.LongergrassmayalsohaveconsequencesontheILSsystemoronsomenewgenerationsofgroundradar.Inallcases,itisnecessarytoensurethatthegrassdoesnothidemarkings,signsandlights.Longerdrygrasscanalsoposesafirehazardintheeventofaircraftrunningofftherunway.

3.2.0.

3.2.1.

Good soil coverageis important as some birdsuse the soil to build theirnests in. This can attract

larger predators therefore increasing the hazard.

A long grassmaintenance

regimeat Geneva

International Airport

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Dependingonthetypeofgrasslandandclimate,maintenanceoflongergrasssurfacescouldbebasedonacyclewhichcanrangefromoveroneyearupto two, threeor fouryears.Dependingonthetypeofgrassland,themachineryusedtomowwillhavetobeadaptedtopickupmaximumamountsofgrassaftermowing,andwillhavetobesurenottocreateruts,whichmayofferwildlifeafavourableenvironment, forexampleif theybecomefilledwithwater.

Theperiodduringwhichgrassiscutisadeterminingfactorinbirdhazardmanagement.Itisessentialtobeabletocarryoutthisworkundergoodmeteorologicalconditionsandbesurethatitcanbecompletedasrapidlyaspossible.Considerationshouldalsobegiventoconductinggrasscuttingatnight time.Theperiodwhenthemowingisundertakenshouldallowforgrasstogrowagainbeforethenextperiodofhighbirdrisk.

It is important tokeep the signs clearof alllong grass andobstructions whenpracticing a “long

grass” maintenance regime

3.2.2.

3.2.3.

Mowing the grass atGeneva International

Airport; the use ofappropriate means

will also limitthe risk of increasingthe wildlife hazard

(Photo: BTEE)

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Ifthegrassisnotcuteachyear,itwillbenecessarytomonitorthedevelopmentofundesirableplantswhichattractbirds.Dependingonlocalconditions,theenvironmentmayrapidlybetransformedintowastelandonwhichtreesandbushesbegintogrow.Thelattershouldbesystematicallyeliminated.

Thegrassthatiscutmustbesufficientlymulchedor,preferably,collectedandremovedfromtheaerodrome. Thepresenceon thegroundofdecomposinggrass favoursan increasein invertebrate numbers which will in turn attract birds. Also, the heat produced bydecomposing grass increases the risk of combustion in the case of a kerosene spillage,thereforeincreasingtheriskoffire.

Themanagementofaerodromegrasslandsand themaintenancemethodsusedcanbe, ifdeemednecessary,thesubjectofadvicebygrasslandoragriculturalexperts,whoshouldbeawareofthespecificconditionsrelatedtotheoperationoftheaerodromeandwildlifehazardmanagement.

Chemicalsandfertilizersshouldneverbeusedwithoutapriorin-depthanalysisof thesituation.Similarly, thespreadingofmanureorcompostongrassysurfacesshouldbeprohibited.

Ifanaerodromeestablishesa“longgrass”programfollowinganappropriatestudy,itwillstillbenecessarytomonitortheimplementationofthisnewmanagementmethodtoascertainitsimpactonwildlife.Toanalysesuchaprogrameffectively,itwillbenecessarytotakeintoaccountobservationsofwildlife,andnotonlystatisticsofwildlifestrikeswhich,atthelevelofasingleaerodrome,donotnecessarilyofferreliabledata.

3.2.4.

3.2.5.

3.2.6.

3.2.7.

3.2.8.

Bushes that have grown after ayear without mowing the

aerodrome grassy surfaces(Photo: BTEE)

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Specificmeasureswillhave tobe takenonce the localenvironmentwithin theaerodromehas been analysed and assessed. The next stage consists of gathering specific data onwildlife, and particularly birds, outside the physical boundaries of the aerodrome. Forexample, knowledge of migratory routes makes it possible to provide pilots with reliableinformationonapproachanddeparturepaths.

Theareassurroundingtheaerodromehaveadirectimpactonthepresenceofwildlifeontheaerodrome.Theirphysicallocationmayalsoresultinbirdscrossingtheaerodromeregularly.Itmaybenecessarytogainanunderstandingofthebehaviourofwildlifeoutsidetheaero-dromewithinapre-establishedradius.

Definitionsareprovidedbelowofcertaintypesofenvironmentswhich,inthevicinityofanaerodrome,haveadirectimpactonthepresenceofwildlife.Someofthecharacteristicsoftheseareasarealsodescribed.Thelistisnotexhaustive:

• Coastalareas.Ingeneraltheriskforairtrafficisgreateratcoastalaerodromes.Many speciesofbirdsarefrequentlypresentin largenumbers.Tidalmovementsmaycause periodsofintensebirdactivity.Thepresenceoffishingportsorindustrialfishprocessing plantsconsiderablyincreasestheattractionforbirdsandthereforethebirdhazard.

• Landfill/Garbagedisposalsites.Landfillsandgarbagedumpsareasignificantsource offoodforbirds.Certainspecieswilltravelseveralkilometrestoreachadump.Birds flying toand from thesesitesmaycrossoveranaerodromeoraircraftflightpaths. It is not uncommon to observe birds, in particular gulls thermaling over dump sites. The greater presence of birds will give rise to problems for approaching aircraft. The presenceofgarbagedumpsonaerodromesmustbetotallyprohibited.Inaccordancewith thevariousnationalrecommendationsforthepreventionofbirdhazards,regulationscall

CHAPTER 4Birdhazardandwildlifemanagementinthevicinityoftheaerodrome

4.1.1.

4.1.2.

4.1.3.

Wetlands will attractcertain species of birds

such as the GreyHeron pictured here

(Photo: Christian Béchir)

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fortheeliminationofgarbagedumpswithinaradiusofupto10kilometresoftheaero- drome.

• Sewagetreatmentandwastewaterplants.Theseplantsandtheirsettlingponds oftenattractlargenumbersofbirds.Theclosertheplanttotheaerodrome,thegreater thedanger.Itisnecessaryforaerodromeoperatorstodevelopagreementswiththose responsiblefortheplantstoensurethattheyarerenderedhostiletobirds.

• Reservoirs, lakes,pondsandsaltmarshes.Wetareasaregenerally colonizedby manyspeciesofbirds.Waterbirdsareoftenlargeandtendtoformlargeflocks.Ifone individual isdisturbed, thewholegroupfrequently takesflight,with theriskofcausing multiplecollisions.Thesewetareasofferabundantsourcesoffoodandareoftenvisitedat nightbygroupsofducks,geese,wadersandotherweb-footedbirds.Iftheyaredisturbed atnight,hundredsofbirdsmaytakeflighttogetherwithouttherebeinganywayinwhich pilotsorwildlifemanagementstaffcanseethem.Theseareasalsoofferattractivesitesfor restorover-winteringformanymigratoryspeciesofbirds.

A garbage dump, inthis case less than one kilometre away from

an aerodrome,is a major attractant tomany species of birds

(Photo: BTEE)

Salt marches inproximity to the

airport can substantially increase the risk

of birds crossing theaircraft

approach paths

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• Gravelpitsandquarries.Areasfromwhichrawmaterialsandstoneareextractedare oftenfilledwithwater.Itiscommonfortheseareastobeleftwithoutbeingrestored, therebyattractingbirds.Inthecaseofanynewexcavations,itimportanttoensurethat thesiteisrestoredtoitsinitialstatefollowingitsexploitation.Insomecasesoldextraction pitsarebeingenhancedtoincreasethebiodiversityofanareawhichmayincreasethe birdhazardatlocalairports.

• Naturereserves.Theestablishmentofnaturereservesinthevicinityofaerodromescan haveagreatimpactontheattractionofwildlife.Itisnecessarytocoordinateprojects withlocalauthoritiestolimit,insofaraspossible,hazardsrelatedtowildlife.Incertain cases,thepresenceofsuchareashastobeprohibitedwithinapre-determinedradius oftheaerodromethatistobedetermined.

• Possiblefuturehazardsinthevicinityoftheaerodrome-safeguarding.Airport operators should take steps to guard against new or increased hazards caused bydevelopmentsinthevicinityoftheaerodromeandshouldalsoencouragedevelopments thatreducethebirdhazard.ICAOquotesadistanceof13kmfromtheairport.However, developmentsbeyond13kmcanstillcreateanincreasedhazardifabirdlineofflight isestablishedasover-flyingtheairportorrunwayends.Toenablethistobepredictedsome detailedknowledgeisrequiredbytheairportoperatoraboutthelocaloff-airportbird species,movements,feedingandroostinglinesofflightatdifferenttimesoftheyear.

Wheresuchdevelopmentsarelikelytoincreasethehazard,theairportoperatorshould communicatetheseconcernstothedeveloper,municipalplannersandperhapsthenational aviation authority. It may be necessary to establish a legally binding bird hazard managementplanwiththedevelopertoensurestepsaretakentosufficientlyreducethe hazard.Itisrecommendedthatactionsagreedtoinsuchplansaremonitoredbythe airporttoensurecompliance.

• Landscapingofaerodromes.Inmanyprojectsfortheextensionorconstructionofnew aerodromes,external landscaping isgiven importance in theprojectwithaview to integrating the infrastructureaseffectivelyaspossibleandwelcomingaerodromeusers inanagreeablemanner.Theplantingoftrees,bushesandplantshastheundoubtedeffectof attracting wildlife, and particularly birds. Specialists in bird hazard prevention andwildlifemanagementshouldbeassociatedwiththeprojectfromtheverybeginning. Careshouldbetakenwiththeselectionofsitesforplantingandthevarietiesusedcanhave asignificantimpactonthepresenceofwildlife.Inallcases,plantswhichproducef o o d (berries,fruit)forbirdsshouldbeavoided.

• Localagriculturalpractices.Ingeneral,expertsadviseagainstgrowingagriculturalcrops on the aerodrome. Outside the aerodrome site, it is difficult to be able influence the choiceofcrops,unlessnationallegislationhasbeenadoptedonthissubject.Whateverthe situation,birdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementspecialistshavetoestablish permanentagreementswiththemaintenancecontractorswhomaintaintheaerodrome, aswellas,ifdeemednecessary,withfarmersinthevicinityoftheaerodrome.

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Fortheassessmentoftheimpactofacroponwildlife,itisnecessarytoknowthelocal climatic conditions, the wildlife present and the agricultural practices (types of crop, aswellastheworkingmethodsused).Nodetailedrecommendationscanbemadeonthis subject at an international level, as it is necessary to carry out a specific analysis for eachlocation.

Manycountriesalreadyregulatetheuseofagriculturallandinthevicinityofaerodromeswithaviewtominimizingtheattractionofwildlife.Theplanningofcropsaroundtheaerodromemaytaketheformofcropplans,recommendationsortheadoptionoflegislation.Inallcases,itisessentialfortheaerodromeoperatortoestablishcoordinationwiththelocalauthoritiesandtoensurethattheyareawareoftherisksforaviationwhichmayarisefromwildlife.

4.1.4.

Agriculture on an aerodrome(Photo: BTEE)

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Birddispersaltechniqueshavebeeninuseatmanyaerodromesforalongtimeandremainaeffectivesolution.However,in-depthknowledgeoftheterritoryandthewildlifepresentremainsthedeterminingfactorinthechoiceofmethods.Themanagementofthehazardhas to involve theregularmonitoringofbirds,rather thanbeing limitedtoscaringthemaway.

Experiencehasshownthattheonlyreallyeffectivebirddetectionsystemremainstheinspectionofallareasoftheaerodromeonacontinuousbasisbytrainedstaff.

Thestaffcarryingouttheinspectionmustbe: • highlytrainedintheobservationandidentificationofthespeciesthatarepresent, • havethecapacitytodetermineimmediatelythebestmeansofdispersal, • familiarwiththetechnicalaspectsofdispersaldevices, • familiarwithaircraftmovementsatthetimeandthelikelyeffectoftheiractions,

Ideally,themobilepatrolsshouldbemorepersistentthatthebirdsthemselves

Fordispersaltobeeffective,dependingontheriskattheaerodromeconcerned,itmaybenecessaryfortheretobeapermanentpresenceontheaerodrome.Irregularpatrolsarenotthemosteffectivemeansofwildlifemanagement.

Constantsurveillanceoftheaerodromeisnecessarytospotbirdsorotheranimals.Theuseofbinocularsbytrainedstaffallowsforoptimumobservation.Duringpatrols,thestaffshouldmakehigh-riskareashostileforbirds.Inadditiontodispersal,surveillancepatrolsprovideanopportunitytocarryoutadetailedidentificationofwildlifeand,inthelongterm,tocompareandverifytheeffectivenessofthemeasuresadopted.

Anecessarypriorityonaerodromes is toestablish the safetyof runwaysand taxiways.Interventionsonthesecriticalareasshouldbeconductedtodispersebirdsandestablished

CHAPTER 5Activemethodsofscaringandcontrollingbirds

5.1.1.

5.1.2.

5.1.3.

5.1.4.

Surveillance of the aerodromesite using binoculars is still

one of the best ways to spotwildlife – a tower or elevated

platform can be useful toconduct this surveillance

(Photo: BTEE)

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afeelingofinsecurity.Duetotheriskofthebirdsflyingintosensitiveareas,birdsinlow-riskareasshouldnotbescaredwithoutacarefulassessmentoftheirlikelybehaviour.

Anumberofaerodromestoleratethepresenceofbirdsoncertainpartsoftheairfield.Insomecases,where theaerodromeissufficiently large, thissolutionmaybeenvisaged.However,inmostcasesnoopportunityshouldbegivenforwildlifetoremainwithintheaerodrome.Ifcertainareasofferafavourableenvironmentforbirds,effortsshouldbemadetomakethemlessattractivethroughpassivehabitatmodification,asdescribedinthepreviouschapter.

Inaerodromesoperatingona24hourbasis,itisrecommendedthatbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementshouldberelatedtobirdactivity,ratherthanaircraftmovements.

Incaseswheretheaerodromeisonlyoperatedduringcertainhours,thepresenceofbirdswithintheaerodromeoutsideaeronauticaloperatinghoursdoesnotcauseanymajorhazardsandthereforeshouldnotnecessarilybeminimized.However,itisimportanttodisperseanybirdssufficientlyinadvanceofthefirstaircraftmovementssoastolimit thehazardasmuchaspossible.Dependingonthesizeoftheaerodrome,itisrecommendedthatthedispersalofwildlifeshouldbeginatleastonehourbeforethefirstaircraftmovements.

Birdactivity isgenerallyata lower levelat night than in thedaytime.Dependingon thegeographical location of the aerodrome, the length of the daylight period varies, whichdirectly influencesbirdactivity. The samebird speciesdonotnecessarilyact in the samemanner fromoneaerodrome toanother. It is important that thepresenceofbirdson theaerodromeisas lowaspossibleatduskbecausedetectingbirdsatnightcanprovetobedifficult,andtheuseofspotlightsmaydisturbthebirdsandmakethemflyaway,withalltheinherentrisks.Itisrecommendedthatactivemeasuresshouldbeusedwithcautionatnightduetotheriskthatthehazardmaybeincreased.

Aslongasanaerodromeretainsitsattractionforwildlife,duetothefailuretotakepassivemeasurestomodifyhabitats,therewillbeanongoingneedtocontinueusingactivedispersalmethods.Iftheaerodromeisnotahostileenvironmentforbirds,thestaffresponsibleforbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementwillneedtouseactivemeasuresonacontinualbasis.

Birddispersalrequirestheuseofmeanswhichconstitutearealdangerforthem.Thecontinuedoroveruseofscaringdevicesmayleadtohabituationamongbirds,makingsuchinterventionslesseffective.Forthemeansusedtoretaintheiraspectofdangerforbirds,thefollowingrulesshouldbeobserved:

(a) individualdevicesshouldbeusedasinfrequentlyaspossible(b) theuseofdifferentmeansshouldbealternated(c) thevariousmeansavailableshouldbeusedincombination(d) theappropriatemeansforthespeciesshouldbeused

Itshouldbenotedthat,evenifamethodiseffective,thisalwaysdependsonthetypeofbirdandtheregionconcerned.Therefore,beforeselectingthebirddispersalmethodormethods,itshouldberecalledthattheinherentcapacityofadevicetoscare,killordispersewildlifeisoftenlesssignificantthantheability,persistenceandwill toexperimentoftheoperativeresponsibleforwildlifemanagement.

5.1.5.

5.1.6.

5.1.7.

5.1.8.

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Inconclusion,tobeaseffectiveaspossibleincombatingbirdhazards,itisnecessarytobeabletocombineseveralmethodsandtoadapttospecificconditions,forexamplerelatedtoacolderorwarmerwinterperiod.Thekeepingofadailylogoftheinterventionscarriedoutalsomakesitpossibleinthelongtermtodeterminerapidlythemeanswhichofferthebestresultsunderdifferentconditionsaswellasprotecttheairportoperatorbyhavingproofofactionstakenincaseofanincident.Basedonthedatacontainedinalogkeptforlongerthanafullyear,itispossibletoforecastbirdmovementsusingstatisticaltoolsandtobepreparedforrecurrentseasonalproblems.

Birddispersalmethods

The vehicle used for the implementationof birdmanagementmeasures is oneof the keyelementsintheirsuccess.Itisnecessarynotonlyforthemobilityofoperatives,butalsototransportthenecessaryequipment.

It should be ensured, where possible, that a vehicle of a specific colour is used whichcannotbeconfusedwiththecoloursofotherrunwayandaerodromevehicles.Thebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementvehiclewillbeassociatedwithdangerbywildlifewhentheyhavebeenharassedbyit.Ifothervehicleshavethesamecolour,birdsmayreactwhentheypassandtheseuncontrolledmovementsmaygiverisetoincreasedrisk.

Considerationshouldalsobegiventotheuseofcustomfittedfourwheelmotorcycletoconductbirdscaringpatrols.

Cartridgesand shell crackers are themost commonmeans used throughout theworld toscarebirds.Theeffectivenessofcartridgesandcrackersvariesaccordingtothebrandused.Certainproduceanexplosionwhen theyarefiredaswellaswhen theyhave traversedacertaindistance,whileothersonlydetonatewhentheyreachtheobjective.Someleavesmoketrailsandothersproduceawhistlingsound.Theappropriatematerialshavetobeusedforthespeciestobedispersed.Thesepyrotechnicsarefiredusingrevolvers,pistolsorshotguns.

5.1.9.

5.2.0.

5.2.1.

5.2.2.

A wildlifemanagement unitand their vehicle

(Photo: Aéroports de Paris)

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Thescaringeffectofcartridgesorcrackersfiredfromfirearmsiswelldocumented.Cartridgesandshellcrackersshouldbeusedcarefully.Theyshouldalwaysbefiredbetweentheriskareaandthebirdssoastodistancethemfromtheareatobeprotected.

Inthecaseofflocksofbirds,noattemptshouldbemadetofireintothemiddleoftheflock,whichmightcauseuncontrolleddispersalinalldirections.

To be really effective, it should always be the aim for projectiles to detonate below thevisionofthebirds.Forbirdsontheground,thedetonationshouldtakeplaceatgroundlevel.Oncethebirdshavetakenflight,anothershotfiredbetweenthegroundandthebirdsshouldscarethemaway.Forbirdsinflight,cartridgesshouldbefiredbehindthem.Iftheintentistochangethetrajectoryofaflockinflight,severalcartridgescouldbefiredintheirflightline.Thismanoeuvreisdifficultandrequiresexperiencefromoperatives.

In all cases, the direction and speed of the wind have to be known by the operative toavoid inappropriate shots. Care should be taken not to fire cartridges and crackers ininappropriateareas,suchastheapron.Wherethereisdrygrass,careshouldbetakenduetothefirehazard.

Alloperativesusingfirearmsandammunitionshouldhavereceivedpriortraining.Thetrainingshouldcovertheuseandhandlingoffirearms,themanagementandstorageofammunitionandthesafeuseofthisequipment.Morespecifictrainingshouldbeorganizedonwildlifedispersal.

Sound making cartridges with therevolver used for firing them

(Photo: BTEE)

A hand gun used for firing crackersand explosives

(Photo: BTEE)

5.2.3.

5.2.4.

5.2.5.

A combination usage of cracker shellsand distress calls emanating from the vehicle

can be an effective way to scare birds.Always be sure to wear appropriateprotective gear when using fire arms.

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In general, when used correctly, pyrotechnics are one of the most effective methods forbirdcontrolavailable.Formanyyears,theequipmenthasremainedthesameanditwouldappearunlikelythatitwillbeimproved.Improvedeffectivenessisthereforetotallydependentonexcellenttrainingandtheexperienceacquiredbyoperators.

Distresscalls.Birdsemitdistresscallswhencapturedbyapredatororintheeventofdanger.Theuseofdistresscallsisthereforeeffectivewiththesetypesofspeciesaslongasthebirdsare correctly identified and the right distress calls are used. This involves recording suchdistresscallsandemittingthemthroughloudspeakersinstalledonthebirdhazardpreventionvehicleorthroughfixedspeakersstrategicallypositionedinareasofconcern.

Dependingonthegeographicalsituationoftheaerodromeandthespeciespresent,theuseofdistresscallscanbeanexcellentsolution.Theireffectivenessiswellproveninthecaseofgulls,forexample,andtheycanthereforeeasilybeusedbycoastalaerodromes.

Birdsnormallyreacttodistresscallsinthefollowingmanner: • theyarealertedandtakeflight • theyapproachthesourceofthesoundandcircleoverhead • certainindividualsdiveatthethreattoassessit

Whenthecallscease,thebirdsveryoftenleavethearea.Itisalsoveryeffectivetocombineaudiomethodswithvisualmethods.However,birdshavedifferent reactions to theuseofdistresscallsandthefiringofcartridgesandcrackers.Asequentialcombinationofmethodsmaybeeffective,but theuseofdifferentmethodssimultaneouslyshouldbe limitedasit islikelytocreateconfusioninthegroupofbirds,whichwillbecomedifficultfortheoperativetocontrol.

According to expert opinion, when distress calls are used birds cannot identify preciselythe threator thepredatorand thesafestaction for themis todisperse. Inviewof this thedispersalofbirdsthroughtheuseofdistresscallsmaytakeacertainamountoftime.Foranaerodrome,thetimerequiredforaneffectiveresponsemayraiseproblems.Moreover,usingthismethoditisdifficulttoforeseetheexactdirectionthatthebirdswilltake.Theexperienceoftheoperatorisvitalinthiscase. It is important tomount loudspeakerson thebirdhazardpreventionvehicle. They shouldbemountedfacingthefrontofthevehicle.Inthisway,thedriveralwayshasthebirdstobedispersedinsightandcanmonitortheirbehaviourandtakethenecessarymeasures.

5.2.6.

5.2.7.

5.2.8.

5.2.10.

Loudspeakers mountedon the wildlife hazard

prevention vehicle(Photo: BTEE)

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Thestandarduseofbirddistresscallsshouldbeasfollows:

• thevehicleshouldbestationaryandoutsidesecurityareas • thevehicleshouldbeupwindoftheflockofbirds • thevehicle(andloudspeakers)shouldfacetheflockofbirds • theidealdistancebetweenthevehicleandthebirdsisaround100metres • thebroadcastingofdistresscallsshouldlastforaround90seconds

Ifbirdssettledontherunwaydonotreact,analternativemethodofinterventiondescribedabovemaybeeffective.

Toensurethatthecorrectdistresscallsareused,itisnecessarytoidentifypreciselythespeciespresent.Forcertainspecies,therearenodistresscallsthereforethismethodcannotbeused.Inthesamewayaspyrotechnics,ifdistresscallsareusedtoofrequentlyandinaninappropriatemanner certain speciesmaybecomehabituated. Thismethod shouldpreferablybeusedbetweenaircraftmovementsandduringthedawnandduskperiods.

Itispossibletoprocessdistresscallsandtransformthemintosyntheticsounds.Thealternateuseofnaturaldistresscallsandsyntheticcallswilldiminishthephenomenonofhabituation.

Therearealsosyntheticsoundsthatarehighlydisagreeabletobirdsandwhichcanbeusedfortheirdispersal,forexample,whenmovingalongtherunwayandtaxiways.

Thismethodcanonlybeusedwhenthetimebetweentwoaircraftmovementssopermits.Itisnecessarytoavoidbirdstakingflightjustafewsecondsbeforethemovementofthefollowingaircraft,whichcouldhavecatastrophicconsequences.

Therearemanyotherdispersalmethodsinusethroughouttheworld,anumberofwhicharebasedon traditionalagriculturalpractices.Expertsaregenerally inunanimousagreementwith regard to the twomethodsdescribedabove, namelypyrotechnicsanddistress calls.Moreover,thesetwomethodsareeasilyapplicableinallaerodromesthroughouttheworld.However,opinionsaredividedwithregardtoothermethodsandlocalassessmentsforeachaerodromeshouldbeundertakentoindicatewhetheronemethodmaybeusedratherthananother.Also,monitoringofthemethodsisnecessarytodemonstratetheireffectiveness.

Fixedandmobilenoisemakerscanalsobeaneffectivemeansofdispersalforcertainspecies.Theadvantageof thismethod is thatstaff in thecontrol towercanoperate themremotelywhennecessary.Ifthebirdhazardpreventionpatrolisontheothersideoftheairfield,thismethodcansaveasignificantamountoftime.

However,thismethodcanneverreplacetherecruitmentofqualifiedbirdhazardpreventionstaff.Itshouldalsoberecalledthatbirds,likehumans,cannothearultrasound.

5.2.11.

5.2.12.

5.2.13.

5.2.14.

5.2.15.

5.2.16.

Using distress calls insensitive areas

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Gasgeneratorsorcannons.Theseoldertypesofdevicesareeffectiveforcertainspecies,butoftenhavetobecombinedwithotherpyrotechnicmethodstofulfiltheirfunctionssuccessfully.Unfortunately,therearemanysafetyproblemswiththistypeofdevice.Inthefirstplace,thepresenceofgascreatesafireandexplosionriskthatshouldnotbeoverlooked.Ditchesneedtobedugtoburygascontainers.Inaddition,theuseofthismethodisnotrecommendedinhotcountries.

Noisemakers.Increasingly,gasgeneratorsarebeingreplacedbyelectronicnoisemakers.Thismethodremainseffectiveandallowsfor thesystemtobeadaptedatall timesandinaccordancewiththegeographicalandornithologicalsituationoftheaerodromemerelybychanging the soundsemitted. The variationof soundsavoidshabituationbybirds.Manymodelsofthesedevicesexist,itisthereforenecessarytoselectthosethatarebestadaptedtothelocalsituation.

Noisemakersmountedonmobileunitscanbemovedtoareaswhichareusedperiodicallybybirds.Oncetheareahasbecomehostile,thenoisemakercanonceagainbemoved.

Falconry.Thismethodhasbeentriedoutonmanyoccasionsthroughouttheworld,particularlybythemilitary.Themethodisoftendescribedasbeingeffectivealthoughitcansometimesincreasetheriskofbirdstrikesasthefalconitselfcanbeprovetobeahazard.However,it remains costlyandcomplicated to implement. It requires important infrastructureandasignificantnumberofwell-trainedstaff.Intermsofcost-effectiveness,falconrycaneasilybereplacedbyothersolutions.Moreover,thelegislationincertaincountriesdoesnotallowtheuseofthismethod.

5.2.17.

5.2.18.

5.2.19.

An underground,stationary gas powered noise

generator

A mobile electronicnoise generator

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Predatormodelsandscarecrows.Theseareknownintheformofkites,balloons,scarecrowsandevensmallmodels.Experiencethroughout theworldshowsveryrapidhabituationbybirds.Themoremobile themodel, the longer itwillbeeffective.Thesemethodsare tobeusedtoalimitedextent,withcarebeingtakenastotheirdesign,astheymayalsoconstituteasafetyhazardforaircraftinflight.

Repellents.Thesearesubstancesthatbirdsandmammalsmayfindunpleasantduetotheirtaste,smellortouch.Theeffectivenessoftheseproducts,whicharealsousedintraditionalagriculture,isnotentirelyconvincing.Theyoftenconsistofchemicalsthatareprohibitedbythelegislationincertaincountries.Thesesolutionsalsotendtobeverycostly.

Humanpressureremainsagoodmethodofdispersingbirds.Ithastheadvantageofnotcreatinghabituationbybirds.Theeffectcanbeenhancedbyapersonslowlyraisingandloweringherorhisarms,imitatingtheactionofalargebirdofprey.Also,birdswilloftenreact tothepresenceof thebirdhazardpreventionvehicleif theyassociateitwithbeingharassed.Itseffectivenessisfurtherenhancedbythevisiblepresenceofpersonnel.

The destruction of species. In general, the destruction of species through the killing ofindividuals,nestsoreggshastobecarriedoutinaccordancewiththelocallegislation.Innocaseshould thedestructionofspeciesbeusedas theprimaryand/orsolemethodofwildlifemanagementonanaerodrome.Theuseoflimited,carefullytargeted,lethalcontrolbyproperlytrainedstaffmaybenecessaryiftheobjectiveofdeterringbirdsfromairfieldsistobemaintainedinthelongterm,butmustbesubjecttonationalwildlifelegislation.Wherewildlife isshotorcaptured,operativesshouldbehighly trainedin the identificationof thespecies tobedestroyed. In certain cases, the shootingof speciesmayeven increase thehazardlevel.There-colonizationofareassuitableforbirdswhichhavebeenleftfreemayleadtoanincreaseinthenumberofbirdsorspecies.Ingeneral,theuseofshotgunsonanaerodromerepresentsasafetyhazardforemployeesandpassengers.

Border CollieDogs. The use of border collie dogs to scare birds away is increasing ataerodromes. Thebirdsperceive thedogasanaturalpredatorandasa result therearenohabituation risks. Thedogsshouldbe trained toahigh levelofobediencewhichwillensurethatthehandlersareabletocontrolitatanygiventime.Theyareparticularlyeffectiveagainstflocksofgeeseonoraroundairports.

5.2.20.

5.2.21.

5.2.22.

5.2.23.

5.2.24.

Border collie dogswith their trainerat Amsterdam

Schiphol Airport(Photo: Schiphol)

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Laserbeamguns.Trialshavebeenconductedwithfixeddevicesthatuseaccuratelaserbeamstoscareoffbirds.SpecifictrialshavebeenconductedbytheFrenchcivilaviationauthority.It can be seen that many methods of bird dispersal are available. Aerodrome operatorsare recommended tocarryoutan initialwildlifemanagementauditbeforeproceeding tothepurchaseofequipment.Inthecaseofeachaerodrome,dependingonthespecificlocalconditions,anappropriatesolutionwillhavetobesoughtusingsuitableequipment.

5.2.25.

5.2.26.

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Anintegratedapproachisrequiredforaneffectivewildlifemanagementplan.Itisessentialthatthestaff/operativesinvolvedinbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementareable to collaborateactivelywithair traffic controllersand theotheraerodromeoperationservices.Itisvitalforaerodromeoperatorstobeawareofthepotentialhazardsofcollisionsbetweenaircraftandbirdsormammals.

Forabirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementprogramtobesuccessful,itisvitalfor theaerodromemanagement tohavea thoroughunderstandingof theproblemandahighlevelofcommitment.Thebasisofanyprogramisgoodplanningandtherecruitmentofsufficienthumanresourcesforitsimplementationandfollow-up.

Dependingonthesizeoftheaerodromeandthelevelofthehazardrepresentedbywildlife,oneormoreoperativesshouldberecruited.Keyissuestobeconsideredforthestaffincludetraining,provisionofsuitableequipmentandmotivationfor thetasksathand.Dependingontheneedsoftheaerodromeandontheresourcesavailabletheaerodromeoperatormaychoosetohaveadedicatedwildlifeunitoramulti-tasked“operations”team.

Theinitialandfurthertrainingoftheoperativesrecruitedisvitaltoachievegoodresults.Thetrainingshouldnotonlycovermattersrelatingtothebiologyofspecies,butalsoaeronauticaltechniquesandpractices.Itisvitalforthesetwoessentialaspectstobeconsideredinparallelinordertoachievethedesiredresults.Itwould,forexample,beimpossibletoexpectanorni-thologisttodispersebirdsintheoptimummannerwithouthavingknowledgeofaeronauticaloperationsattheaerodrome.Itisnotsufficientmerelytodispersebirds,buttodosowithoutincreasingthelevelofthebirdhazard.

CHAPTER 6Organizationofwildlifemanagementonaerodromes

6.1.1.

6.1.2.

6.1.3.

6.1.4.

Training of personneland the developmentof a strong wildlife

hazard managementand prevention plan is very important in order

to reducethe risk of bird strikes

(Photo: NASA)

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Personnelinvolvedinbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementmusthaveathoroughknowledgeinthefollowingfields:

• wildlife,andparticularlybirds • biologyandnaturalenvironments • aeronautics • aerodromeoperations • firearmsandammunition • statisticalpractices • administration

Thebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementservicehasaverybroadmandate.This consists principally of dealing with the practical, technical and scientific problemsarisingfromthepresenceofwildlifeontheaerodrome.Theprimaryobjectiveoftheserviceiscontrollingthebirdandwildlifehazardonadailybasisontheaerodrome.Secondly,theserviceshouldmaintainstatisticalrecordsofdataandinformationcompileddirectlybythestaffand/oroperativesemployed.

Themainfunctionstobecarriedoutareasfollows:

• takingeffectiveactiontominimizethewildlifehazard-i.e.detectionanddispersalof birds • recordingtheactiontakentodispersewildlifeandtheresultsofthataction • observingandrecordingonadailybasisthewildlifepresentontheaerodrome • recordingandenteringdataonwildlifestrikesoccurringontheaerodromeandofaircraft reportingdamagewhentheyhavelanded,evenwherethestrikesoccurredatanother aerodrome(cooperationbetweenaerodromes) • checkingtoensureoff-aerodromehazardsdonotincrease

Thetermsofreferenceforoperativesemployedinthebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementservicearealsoverybroad.Theyhavetobeknowledgeableaboutthevariousspecies,andparticularlybirds,whichareresideonorpassthroughtheaerodromeaswellastheirspecificbehaviour.Theyareresponsibleforensuringthattheaerodromeisfreefromsubstantialnumbersofwildlife.Theyhavetousetechnicaldevicesforthedispersalofspeciesidentifiedasgivingrisetoproblems.

The operatives also participate in drawing up the recommendations issued by scientists,particularlywithregardtothemanagementoftheaerodromeenvironmentandattractantsforwildlife.Inaddition,theseoperativesexaminewildlifestrikereports,compilethemandmaintain documentation. They also have to serve as intermediaries between the variousaerodromeservicesandstakeholdersaswellasscientists/specialistsandlocalauthorities.

Inaddition to thesemainfunctions,operativeshavetobeable tomaintain thesubstantialrange of equipment required for bird hazard prevention and wildlife management, andparticularlydispersaldevices(firearms,generators,etc.).Theyhavetohavethenecessarytechnicalknowledgetohandleandmaintainfirearmsincompletesafety.

Theprincipalactivitiescoveredby the termsofreferenceofoperativesentrustedwithbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementaredescribedinAppendixA.

6.1.5.

6.1.6.

6.1.7.

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Operativeshavetobeabletoidentifyallthespecieswhichmaypotentiallybepresentontheaerodrome.Athoroughknowledgeofcriteriafortheidentificationofbirdsisnecessary.

Theunitinwhichtheoperativesareassignedhastobeequippedwithguidesandreferenceworksforthecountryandregion.Theidealsituationwouldbetocommissionaspecificbirdhazardpreventionmanual/guidefortheaerodromeconcerned.Thistoolwouldallowmuchgreaterrapidityintheidentificationofspeciesandcouldprovideindicationsofthemeasurestobetaken.Certainaerodromeshavealreadyproducedthistypeofdocument.

Fortheproductionofthistypeofdocument,itcouldbenecessarytoseekthecollaborationof localornithologists,whocouldbeassistedbyacknowledgedspecialists inbirdhazardprevention.

Iftheyaretoworkeffectively,operativesresponsibleforbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementmusthaveaccesstoallareasoftheaerodrome,includingsensitiveareas.Itisthereforevitalfor thebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementunit tocollaborateclosely with air traffic controllers. The latter can provide important assistance in wildlifemanagementasaresultofthepanoramicviewtheyhavefromthecontroltower.

Communications with other interested parties concerning the hazard presented by birdsshouldbeundertaken.Thesecouldincludebutarenotlimitedto: • providingreportstoairlineoperatorsandAirTrafficControlconcerningthebirdhazard byparticularlocationsandchangesthroughtheseasonsandhowthisismanaged • issuingNOTAMsorbyplacingmessagesontheairportATIStonotifypilotsofparticular hazardsataparticulartime.Thiswouldincludetheonsetofmigratorybirdroutesor over-winteringareasbecomingpopulatedifadjacenttotheaerodrome • communicatingwithlocalmunicipalplannerssotheyareabletounderstandtheimportance ofthisissueandplaceitinawidercontext • communicatingwithlocallandownerstonotifytheairportiftheyarechangingthenature ofthelocalenvironment • communicatingwithlocalbird/wildlifegroupswhomaybeabletoprovideestimates ofspeciesnumbersorchangesinlocalpopulations

To ensure that wildlife hazard management is given the importance that it deserves, theaerodromemanagementshouldestablishastructure,intheformofacommitteeorworkinggroup,whichshouldbecomposedofspecialists,scientists,thelocalauthorities,thevariousstakeholders involved at the aerodrome as well as airlines. This group should formulateinstructions and recommendations to facilitate the work of operatives responsible for

6.1.8.

6.1.9.

6.1.11.

6.1.12.

A wildlife operative must be ableto identify the types of wildlifeon and around the aerodrome

(Photo: Auckland Airport)

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wildlifemanagement.Suchcommitteesshouldmeetonamonthlybasisorataminimumonaquarterlybasistodeliberateonwildlifehazardmanagementpractises.

Suchgroupsalreadyexistinmanyaerodromesthroughouttheworld.Experienceshowsthattheygreatlyfacilitatetheexchangeofinformation,communicationandcooperationbetweenthevariouspartnersandstakeholdersinvolvedinwildlifemanagement.

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Aerodromes should also take action concerning the risks related to the presence of wildanddomesticmammals.Thebestsolutionistoensuretheconstructionofaperimeterfencearoundtheaerodrometokeepmammalsout.Dependingonthespeciespresent,theheightofthefenceneedstobeadapted,particularlysinceitalsoplaysaroleinensuringperimetersecurity.Itisalsoimportanttonotethatpartofthefencecouldextendundergroundtopreventtheentryofcertainmammals–insuchcasesitisrecommendedthattheundergroundpartofthefencebecarpetedoutwardstopreventmammalsfromeasilydiggingunderneaththefence.Itisalsopossibletomakeuseofelectricfencestokeeplargeanimalsout.

Asinthecaseofbirds,adetailedlocalassessmentwillhavetobeundertakenasabasisfordetermining themeasures thatareadapted to the situationof theaerodrome. Indigenouswildlife may differ greatly from one region to another. Examples include kangaroos,elephants,straydogsanddeer.

In addition to causing wildlife strikes themselves, mammals can give rise to maintenanceproblemsarisingoutofthedisturbanceofcertainsurfacesandthedestructionofelectricalcables.

Constructivemeasuresshouldbetakento limit thepresenceofmammals.Theexpertiseoflocal zoologists or governmental nature conservation departments should be called upontoassist inthetrappingorremovalofwildlife. If theypersistdespitethesemeasures,it ispossibletocapturethemorscarethem,althoughinmanycasestheeliminationoftheanimalisnecessary.Recoursetoprofessionalhuntersmaythereforebeasafersolution.

Thewildlifemanagementprogramwillhavetotakeintoaccountanumberofgeneralprinciplestoreducethepresenceofmammalsasmuchaspossible.Theseinclude,inparticular: • allperimetergatesshouldbekeptclosedandcareshouldbetakentoensurethat therearenogapsunderneaththegates; • the perimeter fence should be checked regularly by staff / operatives from the wildlifemanagementunit: in theeventofdamage,repairsshouldbeundertaken immediately; • wheremammalshavetobedestroyed,attentionshouldbepaidtoensuringthatthe speciesconcernedand themethodsof interventionareconducted inaccordance therelevantlocallegislation; • allfoodsourcesontheaerodromeandinitsdirectvicinityshouldberemovedor managedsoastoreduceattractiontoamaximum; • whereanaerodromeisunderthreatfromlargeand/oruncommonanimals,advice shouldbetakenfromzoologiststoseekthebestsolutiontodeter,relocate,remove them; • whererabbitsorotherburrowingrodentsarearecurrentproblem,electricalcables shouldbeprotected,particularly thosepoweringrunway lightingandnavigation aids.

CHAPTER 7Controlofmammals

7.1.1.

7.1.2.

7.1.3.

7.1.4.

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Staff/Operativesinthewildlifemanagementunitshoulddevelopclosecooperationwiththelocalauthoritiesresponsibleforconservation,wildlifeandhunting,aswellaswiththevariouslocalspecialists.

7.1.5.

Deer in the vicinity of the DenverInternational Airport – largemammals such as these can

pose a significant threatto the aerodrome

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Inordertomeasureatalltimesthelevelofriskandtheeffectivenessofthemeasurestakenbytheaerodrome,itisnecessarytohaveavailablereliableandcomparablestatisticaldata.Variousmethodsforthecompilationofdatamaybeusedforthispurpose.Whethertheytaketheformofdatabases,formsorcomputermapping,allofthisinformationprovidesimportantdocumentationfortheimprovementofhazardmanagement.

Thebasicdatacollectedfromtheeverydayworkofthebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementunit shouldbecompiled to forma referencedatabase.Thevarious typesofinformationcollectedshouldcover,atleast:

• observationsofbirds/wildlifewithadescriptionoftheirlocationontheairfield, behaviour of the species observed, their numbers, biological characteristics (adults, immature,youngindividuals,male,female,etc.); • bird or animal strikes should be confirmed on a form with the various ornithologicalandaeronauticaldata(asrequiredbyICAO),andthisinformation shouldalsobecommunicatedtothecompetentnationalauthorities;

• interventions have tobe recorded,withan indicationof the species involved, the methodsused,thereactionoftheanimalandtheeffectivenessofthemethods; • changestotheenvironment,includingmaintenanceworkandconstruction,with therecordsforthelatterincludingabriefanalysisoftheirimpactonwildlife; • meteorologicalconditionsshouldalsobecentralizedsoastobeabletocompare thisdatawiththeotherinformationcollected;

CHAPTER 8Reportingandrecordkeeping

8.1.1.

8.1.2.

Wildlife strike to the nosecone of an aircraft

(Photo: BTEE)

A damaged windscreen aftera collision with a bird of prey

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• anyotheractivitiesthatarelikelytohaveanyeffectwhatsoeveronwildlife; • computermappingofalltheinformationcompiledaboveshouldprovideanexcellent overviewoftheareasmostcommonlyusedbywildlifeandinwhichmostwildlifestrikes occur.

Thedatacompiledshouldbesubjectedtodetailedscientificanalysissoastobeabletodrawconclusionswithaviewtoimprovingwildlifemanagementontheaerodrome.Thedatamaybeprocesseddirectlyby thestaffof thebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementunit,butcanalsobeusedforresearchbyscientistsandspecialists.

WithaviewtoprovidinginputintoICAOinternationalIBISstatistics,eachaerodromemustmaintainannualstatisticsofbirdstrikes.Thesehavetotakeintoaccountbirdstrikesoccurringuptoamaximumaltitudeof500feet.

Thestatisticsthatarecollectedateachlocationcanbeanalysedandproduceinterestingsetsofdata,suchas: • thedamagecaused; • thebirdtypesinvolved; • thespatialdistributionofbirdstrikesontheaerodrome; • thedistributionbytime; • distributionbynighttime/daytime; • distributionbyflightphases; • distributionbyaircraftspeed; • distributionbyaircrafttype;

Itisimportanttoensurethatstatisticsarecalculatedregularlyandpreciselysoastoproduceaccurateandhighqualityreports.Contrarytocommonpresumption,statisticsshowingnumerousbirdstrikesdonotnecessarilypointtoineffectivepreventionofbirdhazards,butinsteadtoeffectivedatagatheringandcompilation.Clearly,certainaerodromeswithahigherlevelofbirdhazardwillrecordmorebirdstrikesthanothers.Nocomparisonbetweenthequalityofbirdhazardpreventionshouldbemadebetweenaerodromesonthebasisofsuchfiguresduetothenumberofvariablesincludedinthecollectionofthedatasuchasqualityofrecordinganddifferingwildlifehazards.Howeverairportswithfewerrecordedstrikesmaynotbeawareofotherbirdstrikesoccurringattheirairportandthusactuallyhaveahigherrisk.Overallriskisbestunderstoodusingtheriskassessmentprocessdescribedinsection2.1.1.

Theworkofthebirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementunitshouldbethesubjectofayearlyorbi-yearly report. Thisdocumentcan fulfilan important informationsharingfunctionforotheraerodromesexperiencingthesameproblemsandcanfacilitateinterestingexchangesofexperience.

An aerodrome should produce its own manual for bird hazard prevention and wildlifemanagement, including the statistical datagatheredover time. This document provides auseful basis, particularly in the context of ICAO aerodrome certification. It could containgeneral information on bird hazard prevention and wildlife management, as well asindications on the legislation applicable, the terms of reference and responsibilities ofeveryone involved, observation and statistics, active and passive measures, awarenessraisingandpublicinformation.

8.1.3.

8.1.4.

8.1.5.

8.1.6.

8.1.7.

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Wildlifehazardmanagement isa vitalpartof theoperationsonanaerodrome.Agoodprevention program will significantly increase the overall safety of the aerodrome anddecreasethenumberofincidentsandaccidentsrelatedtowildlife.TheaimofthisHandbookistoprovideexpertiseaswellasknownbestpractisesandguidanceforairportoperatorsondevelopingandimplementingastrongwildlifehazardmanagementprogram.

ACIstronglyrecommendsthatawildlifehazardpreventionprogramshouldbedevelopedandimplementedatallairportsusingthecorrectguidance,expertadviceandabidingbyalllocalwildlifelegislation.Thispreventionprogramshouldbeimplementedaspartoftheoverallsafetymanagementsystemfortheaerodrome.

Formanyyears,ICAOhasissueddirectivesonaviationsafety.Wildlifemanagementformsanintegralpartofitsprerogatives,buthassofaronlybeendevelopedtoalowlevel.

IntheviewofACI,wildlifemanagementontheaerodromemustbeseenasanintegralpartofthesafetyensuredbyanaerodrome.Eachaerodrome,basedonitsspecificlocalconditions,shouldcarryoutariskassessmentrepresentedbywildlifeandtakespecificandappropriatemeasurestorespondtothisrisk.Finally,eachaerodromeshouldestablishcontrolmeasurestomaintainthelikelihoodandseverityoftheriskatanacceptablelevel.

Even where aerodromes have adopted wildlife management programs, it is necessary toassesstheriskonacontinualbasisthroughthevariousproceduressothatthemethodsusedcanbeadapted.Eachaerodromeshouldconsiderseekingtheadviceofexpertsinwildlifeprevention.Theseexpertscouldcollaborate,wherenecessary,withacknowledgedinternationalspecialistsinbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementonaerodromes.

Manyexpertassessmentshavebeenundertaken throughout theworldandoffer valuableinformation.Excellentadviceisavailable,forexample,fromtheFederalAviationAdministrationin theUnitedStates, fromTransportCanadaand from theUnitedKingdomCivilAviationAuthority,aswellasfromcertainairportauthorities.AllofthesearetobefoundinAnnexBofthismanual.Moreover,alargenumberofaerodromesthroughouttheworldhavelocalexpertswhohave,inpart,participatedinthedraftingofthisHandbook,withsomeofthembeingmembersoftheACIOperationalSafetySubcommittee.

ApermanentsourceofinformationwhichmaybeconsultedistheInternationalBirdStrikeCommitteeand its relatedNationalBirdStrikeCommittees in thevarious regionsof theworld.VariousreferencesandsourcesofinformationareindicatedintheAppendicestothisHandbook.

CHAPTER 9Conclusions

9.1.1.

9.1.2.

9.1.3.

9.1.4.

9.1.5.

9.1.6.

9.1.7.

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Therisksrelatedtothepresenceofwildlife,andparticularlybirdhazards,willnotdiminishintheyearstocome.Everysectoroftheaviationindustrywillhavetocollaborateintensivelytoreducethisrisk.Suchcollaborationbeginswiththedesignofaircraftandtheirengines,andincludestheconstructionandoperationofaerodromes.

Aerodromeandairlinestaffmustbetrainedandcollaboratecloselytoimprovethesafetyofflight.Eventhoughzeroriskdoesnotexist,thepoolingofresourcesmeansthattheriskcanbelimitedasmuchaspossible.

ACI believes that this Handbook will prove useful to aerodromes throughout the world,whethertheyalreadyhaveawildlifemanagementprogramortheirproceduresstillneedtobedeveloped.Effortstominimizetheriskwillonlybesuccessfulifthethreatisfullyunderstoodbyaerodromesoperatorsandcommunicatedbythelattertothenationalauthorities.

9.1.8.

9.1.9.

Creating a safeenvironment on

the aerodrome isessential to the smoothrunning of operations

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Theprincipalactivitiescoveredby the termsofreferenceofoperativesentrustedwithbirdhazardpreventionandwildlifemanagementmaybeasfollow:

Activebirddispersalmeasures:• detectionanddispersalofbirdsfromonandaroundtheairfield• surveillanceandmaintenanceinperfectoperatingconditionofthebirdhazardpreventionand wildlifemanagementvehicle;• observationofwildlifeontheaerodrome;• decision-makingconcerninginterventionswherenecessary;• interventionsusingtheappropriatemethodsforthespecieswhicharepresentandwhich mayconstituteahazardforaircraft;• implementationof safety recommendations related to the useof dispersal or elimination devices;• participationincampaignstocaptureordestroycertainspecies;• communicationwithairtrafficcontrol

Passivemeasures:• observationoftheaerodromeenvironmentandanychanges;• keepinginformedofdevelopmentsrelatingtobirdlifeattheregionallevel• co-ordinationandoverseeingtheimplementationofhabitatalterationsinjunctionandbased onrecommendationsbyscientificwildlifemanagementprofessionals

Administration:• maintaininglogs;• completionofobservationforms;• establishmentofwildlifestrikerecordsandreports;and• maintenanceofvariousstatisticstomonitorlongtermtrendsandevaluateeffectivenessof controlmethods• liaisonwithrelevantaerodrome/airlinestakeholderswithreferencetowildlifestrikedata gathering

Additionally the operatives may be responsible for the following although these activitiescouldbeconductedbythirdpartiessuchassuppliers:• surveillanceandrepairwherenecessaryofacousticbirddispersaldevices• maintenanceofwildlifeobservationequipment• orderingconsumeritemsfordispersaldevicesandmaintainingstocks• maintenanceofequipmentforthecaptureofcertainspecies• applicationofthescientificandtechnicalrecommendationsissuedbyscientificbodies• maintenance of pyrotechnic dispersal devices, and particularly firearms for launching cartridgesanddestroyingwildlife

APPENDIX AActivitiescoveredbyawildlifehazardpreventionoperative

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Textreferences:

ICAO,1999.Annex14,Vol.1,Aerodrome Design and Operations.ICAO,1991.Aerodrome Services Manual,PartIII,“BirdControlandReduction”,Doc.9137.ICAO,1989.Manual on the ICAO Bird Strike Information System (IBIS),Doc.9332.ICAO,1987.Aerodrome Planning Manual,Part1,“MasterPlanning”,Doc.9184.ICAO,1985.Aerodrome Planning Manual,Part2,“LandUseandEnvironmentalControl”,Doc.9184.AerodromesCouncilInternational,ACI Policy Handbook,ThirdEdition–2000.FederalAviationAuthority/UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture,1999.Wildlife Hazard Management at Aerodromes.TransportCanada,2001.Wildlife Control Procedures Manual.TransportCanada2001.Sharing the skies. An aviation industry guide to the management of wildlife hazardUnitedKingdomCivilAviationAuthority,1998.Aerodrome Bird Control (CAP 680).InternationalBirdStrikeCommittee,1990.“The Green Booklet”: Some measures used in different countries for reduction of bird strike risk around aerodromes.LesoiseauxdesaérodromesFrançais–préventiondupérilaviaire–DGACFrance

Websites:

TransportCanada–www.tc.gc.caUnitedStatesFederationAviationAdministration–www.faa.govInternationalBirdStrikeCommittee–www.int-birdstrike.comBirdStrikeCommitteeUSA–www.birdstrike.orgGermanBirdStrikeCommittee-www.davvl.deFrenchCivilAviationAuthority-www.dgac.frUnitedKingdomCivilAviationAuthority-www.caa.co.ukAirportsCouncilInternational–www.aci.aeroBureaudetravauxetd’étudesenenvironement-www.bureaubtee.com

APPENDIX BReferencesandsources

(1)(2)

(3)(4)(5)

(6)(7)

(8)(9)

(10)(11)

(12)

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)

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Aerodrome Bird Hazard Preventionand Wildlife Management Handbook

Disclaimer

The information contained in this publication is subject to constant review in the light of changing requirements and regulations. No subscriber or other reader should act on the basis of any such information without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without taking appropriate professional advice. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Airports Council International (ACI) shall not be held responsible for loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misprints or misinterpretation of the contents hereof. Furthermore ACI expressly disclaims all and any liability to any person, whether a purchaser of this publication or not, in respect of anything done or omitted, and the consequences of anything done or omitted, by any such person in reliance on the contents of this publication.

No part of the Wildlife Hazard Management Handbook may be reproduced, recast, reformatted or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from:

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P.O. Box 161215 Geneva 15 - Airport

Switzerland

DISCLAIMER

Copies of this publicationare available from:

Publications DepartmentAirports Council InternationalP.O. Box 161215 Geneva 15 AirportSwitzerlandTel. +41 22 717 8585Fax. +41 22 717 8888Email: [email protected]

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