Assessing Owl Collisions with US Civil and US Air Force Aircraft

Linnell, Kimberly E.; Washburn, Brian E.

doi:10.3356/jrr-17-64.1

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…For example, on 20 November 2020, a snowy owl was struck by a B-737 aircraft (Boeing, Chicago, IL, USA) at General Edward Lawrence Logan International airport during landing costing $24,000 USD in repairs. Linnell and Washburn (2018) reported an average cost of $113,292 USD per damaging strike event (between 1990-2014) It is inevitable that some snowy owls will continue to congregate at airports in the southernmost part of their range, so translocation may be a better management tool with an important positive conservation outcome over lethal measures or non-mitigation. The suggested management techniques need further testing at small and large airports, and at airports spanning the breadth of North America.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with returns of snowy owls to airports following translocation

et al. 2022

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Human‐dominated environments often include ecological traps for wildlife, such as airports that may be perceived as suitable habitat by grassland birds but reduce fitness because of collisions with aircraft. Birds of prey are often attracted to airports where collisions with aircraft (i.e., bird strikes) are usually fatal for the birds and are a significant threat to flight safety. The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is known for its nomadism, exhibiting unpredictable and highly variable movements during the nonbreeding season, including being a common visitor to airports, which often have high small‐mammal populations and mimic flat, open habitats used naturally by owls. Since 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration reported an average of 22 snowy owl deaths annually due to aircraft collisions throughout 55 North American airports. To aid in active management of owls at airports, we assessed relocation data of 42 telemetry‐tracked snowy owls from 2000–2020 in the United States and Canada. Owls that returned to the airport after relocation (33%) frequently crisscrossed and perched near runways where they were at risk of strikes. Adult females and immature males were more likely to return than the other sex and age classes, and returns were less likely to occur as the distance between the release site and the airport increased. Owls relocated in open habitats with a greater proportion of wetland and cropland (including grasslands and pasture) land cover classes were also less likely to return. We conclude that inclusion of multiple factors to limit return rates of relocated snowy owls from airport facilities can unspring the ecological trap presented by airports to these owls.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with returns of snowy owls to airports following translocation

et al. 2022

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“…Dolbeer and Wright (2008) reported 117 Short-eared Owl strikes with civil aircraft in the United States between 1990 and 2007, including four strikes that resulted in damage to the aircraft and four strikes that had a negative effect on the aircraft flight. Linnell and Washburn (2018) summarized owl collision data from the Federal Aviation Administration's National Wildlife Strike Database and the U.S. Air Force's Birdstrike Database between January 1, 1990, and June 30, 2014; 19 percent of 2,456 owl strikes with civil or U.S. Air Force aircraft in the United States were Short-eared Owls. During this period, Short-eared Owl strikes with civil aircraft and U.S. Air Force aircraft increased by 700 percent and 300 percent, respectively.…”

Section: Species' Response To Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During this period, Short-eared Owl strikes with civil aircraft and U.S. Air Force aircraft increased by 700 percent and 300 percent, respectively. The proportion of Short-eared Owl strikes that caused damage was 9.7 percent, with an average reported cost of $155,010 per reported damaging owl strike (Linnell and Washburn, 2018).…”

Section: Species' Response To Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To reduce collisions with vehicles along highways, Jacobson (2005) suggested that the strategic placement of poles or short fencing along roadsides or medians may create an apparent barrier that results in Short-eared Owls flying higher. To reduce owl strikes with U.S. civil and U.S. Air Force aircraft, Linnell and Washburn (2018) suggested an integrated wildlife damage management program that includes nonlethal hazing, live capture and translocation, habitat modification, and other methods; however, the authors recommended further research that focuses on the development and evaluation of effective species-specific methods to reduce owl strikes on airfields.…”

Section: Management Recommendations From the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Shaffer¹,

Igl²,

Johnson³

et al. 2021

Professional Paper

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“…Wildlife strike costs to civil aviation (i.e., direct repair of aircraft costs) in the United States have conservatively been estimated to exceed US$965 million annually (Dolbeer 2018), but the actual costs (incorporating aircraft down time, the cost of putting passengers in hotels, and other indirect costs) are likely much higher (Anderson et al 2015). Raptors (e.g., hawks and owls) are one of the most frequently struck bird guilds within North America (Dolbeer 2018), and pose a serious safety risk to civil (DeVault et al 2011, Washburn et al 2015, Linnell and Washburn 2018) and military aircraft (Zakrajsek and Bissonette 2005, Pfeiffer et al 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

Comparing Management Programs to Reduce Red–tailed Hawk Collisions with Aircraft

Washburn

Pullins

Guerrant

et al. 2021

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Wildlife‐aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft. Raptors (i.e., hawks and owls) are one of the most frequently struck guilds of birds within North America. Although raptors (most notably red‐tailed hawks [Buteo jamaicensis]) are commonly managed at most airports and military bases, there is no scientific information available regarding comparisons of the efficacy of raptor management programs for reducing raptor‐aircraft collisions. Therefore, we conducted a study to examine the efficacy of 2 raptor hazard management programs implemented at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). The first raptor management program (Phase I) occurred during January 2010–June 2013 and was characterized by intensive and sustained live‐trapping and translocation efforts. The second raptor management program (Phase II) occurred during July 2013–December 2016 and involved live‐trapping and translocation of specific age classes and increased lethal removal of problematic individual hawks. Compared with Phase I, there were 47% fewer red‐tailed hawk strikes (52 in Phase I and 28 in Phase II) and 67% fewer damaging red‐tailed hawk strikes (6 in Phase I and 2 in Phase II) during Phase II of the management programs. Our findings demonstrate that airport wildlife management decisions based on scientific data and biological information can aid in reducing wildlife strikes, financial losses, and ultimately airport liability while increasing human safety. The decision matrix regarding the components of an airport raptor hazard management program involves a variety of biological, geographic, logistical, economic, and socio‐political variables. Our study provides a scientific foundation for informing such management decisions. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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Assessing Owl Collisions with US Civil and US Air Force Aircraft

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 5 publications

References 27 publications

Factors associated with returns of snowy owls to airports following translocation

Factors associated with returns of snowy owls to airports following translocation

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Comparing Management Programs to Reduce Red–tailed Hawk Collisions with Aircraft

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